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The collective agreement was negotiated on Tuesday. We want to give you an insight into how the current result came about and why we have to accept the result this year. One part of the Riders Collective was in front of the building at the demo to point out the exclusion of freelancers from collective bargaining and to build pressure to change this situation. The other part of us was at the negotiations to demand a wage increase and an increase of the kilometre allowance for the few employed bike messengers in Austria. There was much more on our list of demands, for example a Sunday supplement or daily allowances like those paid in the related collective agreement on small transport, as well as a Corona bonus - above all we communicated the need to include freelance workers in the negotiations.
However, the Chamber of Commerce was not interested in these issues - especially with regard to FD, the binding legal basis is simply missing. After hours of heated debate (it was already the second round on Tuesday) they made us a surprising and final sounding offer, which was far too little for us. After more hours of heated discussion and interruptions, we focused only on wages, mileage and Sunday pay. Even though we had to give up three quarters of our demands, our final offer was fair and good. However, the employers did not agree. They left the room for 15 minutes to discuss. It became obvious that they did not want a third date with us - and that breaking off the negotiations would have created a very difficult situation, which we wanted to avoid.
In the end, we agreed on a 2.2% wage increase and an increase of the kilometre allowance from 0.14 € to 0.24 €, as well as a commitment that the Sunday supplement is still open for discussion next year. Compared to other trade unions in the sector, this is a pretty good result we can be proud of - even if it should be much more and all messengers have to be included!
Unfortunately, this pretty good result only applies to about one third of all bicycle messengers in Austria. The majority of us work under a free service contract, which is excluded from the Labour Constitution Act. This means that nothing that could be in the collective agreement for FDs is legally binding and might as well not be there. We have decided not to go down the possible path of a non-binding recommendation on FDs in the collective agreement, as we would not achieve any legal binding force - and would have been able to negotiate less for the salaried colleagues. Instead, with the support of the Vida trade union and the ÖGB, we demand a change in the legal situation in order to create binding norms and to be able to represent freelance workers in collective bargaining. Tuesday was not the end of the story, it was the beginning - we have to stick together and keep up the pressure! Together we show that freelancers do not go unheard and deserve the same rights as their colleagues!
We realise that it is disappointing to go home without a substantial negotiating success, but any 'success' in this regard at this point would not be worth the paper it was written on. Rather, it was the beginning of a struggle that we can only carry together to achieve real co-determination and protection for freelancers as well. We have made it clear at every point of the negotiations and with the demonstration that we will put an end to the undermining of labour law and the ignoring of hundreds of workers with freelance contracts. Tuesday's action was not the end of the line - at the same time, such massive steps cannot be taken all at once. The current collective agreement (since 2020) also took more than 2 years to come about - the impatience on our part and that of our colleagues was no less then than it is now! But we cannot sacrifice real co-determination and our rights as workers for quick "successes" on paper - that's why we chose this path.
There is a long way to go, but on Tuesday we showed that we are loud, that we are many, and that we demand real co-determination and will not be driven apart as messengers, no matter what the contract! Freelancers do the same work, but they don't have the possibility to have a say about their work, which is done every day and pays the bills. Often FDs work more than 40 hours per week without overtime pay or other bonuses. There is no possibility to collectively negotiate better social security, sick leave or the level of a minimum wage. If something doesn't fit, you are free to leave. At a time when 500,000 people are unemployed in Austria, you are quickly replaced. Employers prefer individual agreements, because it is easier to break a single finger than a fist. And the free employment contract makes it even easier for them to circumvent any minimum standards and norms. We only have a chance to improve collectively. Every single one of us makes a difference when we join forces! Thank you to all the colleagues and supporters who were there and also to the many who could only be there in their hearts but pledged their support! We have to become more and unite; then we will change the law and achieve co-determination, social security and a minimum wage for all!
Same Job - Same Rights!
