The document summarizes information about the Union of Salaried Private Sector Employees, Graphical Workers and Journalists (GPA-djp) in Austria. The GPA-djp represents over 269,000 salaried private sector employees and workers in graphics and journalism. It is the largest union within the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB), which has over 1.3 million members total. The GPA-djp negotiates collective agreements across 26 industries and sectors in Austria that cover around 95% of the country's employees.

1. 1
Union of Salaried Private
Sector Employees, Graphical Workers
and Journalists

2. 2
Union of Salaried Private Sector Employees,
Graphical Workers and Journalists
 GPA provides intersectoral trade
union representation for salaried
employees in Austria‘s private
industry as well as workers in the
graphical sector and journalists
 GPA organises salaried employees
and apprentices in industry, service
sectors (e.g. trade and finance), the
communications and IT sectors,
associations and federations, the
social security administration, the
transport and tourism sectors, in the
graphical industry and journalists.
 GPA is the largest trade union in
the ÖGB (Austrian Trade Union
Federation), having some 270,000
members of whom
- approx. 44 % are women, and
- approx. 6% are young people

3. 3
Austrian Trade Union Federation
. 35 % approx. 1.3 Mio. members / union density: 35 %
Union of Salaried Private Sector Employees,
Graphical Workers and Journalists
Union of Public Services
Union of Municipal Workers
– Art, Media, Sport, Freelancers
Union for Construction
and Woodworkers
Production Union PRO-GE
Vida (Union for Transport, Services
and Tourism)
Union of Postal and Telegraphic Workers
269.767
232.974
154.406
116.157
232.226
148.351
51.997
31.12.2011 1.205.878

4. 4
Political structure of the GPA-djp
President
Wolfgang
Katzian
Steering
Committee
Executive
Board
Supervisory
Body
Representation
of
interests
26 sectors of
industry
8 interest
groups
9 Regions
Steering
Committee
Executive
Board
Sup. Body Sectors
IG

5. 5
Internal structure
Presidency/federal management
Representation
of interests
Internal support/back office
Collective
agreements
Sectoral policy
Research
department
Legal
department
IT
Regions
Youth Women
Inter-
national
Marketing
Press/PR
Works coucils support Members support
Union and HR
developmentTraining Service
Centre
External services

6. 6
Industries represented by the representative bodies
The GPA-djp represents salaried employees in
the following industries and sectors:
 Industry and industry-related sectors
 Construction and housing
 Communication and IT
 Financial services (banks, savings banks and
insurance companies)
 Commerce
 Social security
 Health, social services and welfare
 Research, education and culture
 Gambling, tourism and leisure
 Transport
 Agriculture and forestry, food, drink and
tobacco
 Representative bodies, organisations,
associations
 New sectors
 Paper / Paper Industry
 Media / broadcasting
The GPA-djp is active in
26 sectors.
These sectors constitute a
platform for preparing,
implementing and
concluding collective
agreements.

7. 7
Collective agreements in Austria
175 collective agreements negotiated by GPA-djp
(figure for 2011)
Term: usually 12 months
Around 95% of employees in Austria are covered by a collective agreement
Collective agreements apply to all workers
(regardless of whether or not they are affiliated to a union)
The collective agreement governs the increase in minimum and actual wages
as well as key employment conditions that supplement labour laws
Date:1/2007

8. 8
Interest groups
Platform for employees with flexible
working conditions and freelancers
Platform for migrant workers
Platform for mobile employees
operating away from their office base
Platform for social service
professionals
Platform for education professionals
Platform for IT professionals
Platform for professional and
managerial staff
A new element in GPA-
djp‘s structure, based
on professional identity
and situation.
It mainly applies in
sectors where in-
company unionisation is
becoming less and less
effective.
Plattform for employees
operating in sale services

9. 9
GPA-DJP International
ETUC
UNI Global Union
International Confederation of Service Unions
GPA-djp sectors: commerce, finance, graphic,
social security sector, gambling/casinos,
media, IT/telecom
ITUC
GPA-djp International
WOW
World Organisation
of Workers
Social Christian trade
union federation
Food, tourism,
agriculture
industriAll
Integrated Industry Union
Federation
European Federation of
Public Service Unions

10. 10
Special features of worker representation in Austria
 Uniform, non-partisan trade union organisation
- 7 trade unions affiliated to the ÖGB
- 5 political platforms
 Widespread use of collective agreements
- over 95% of workers are covered by a collective agreement
 Economic and social partnership
- Employers: Economic Chamber (WKÖ), Chamber of Agriculture
- Workers: ÖGB, Chambers of Labour (AK)
 Several players involved in worker representation:
- ÖGB, trade unions
- Chambers of Labour
- Works coucils and/or staff representatives

11. 11
Factions and groups within the ÖGB and the GPA-djp
The ÖGB and its affiliated unions are non-partisan:
There are various political platforms within the respective unions and
the ÖGB:
 Social Democratic Trade Unionists (FSG)
 Christian Trade Unionists (FCG)
 Alternative Independent Trade Unionists (AUGE)
 Trade Union 'Left Block' (Communist Trade Unionists) (GLB)
 Nonpartisan Trade Unionists (PFG)
 Freedom Party Partnership (FA)

12. 12
Statutory interest
representation
Chambers of
Labour
Includes beside others:
− Statutory representation
vis-à-vis the State
− Research for the unions
− Consumer protection
Voluntary
interest representation
+ unions
Includes beside others:
− Collective bargaining policy
− Company work and
unionisation
− Positioning on the political
scene
Works council
Staff
representation
Worker representation in Austria

13. 13
Representation at company level
− Mandate = unsalaried
− Duration of post = 4 years
− Special protection against
dismissal
− With special right to leave
Activities:
Involvement in economic affairs
Involvement in social affairs and
staff matters
Involvement in cultural matters
Close partnership with the unions
Works council
(private sector)
Staff representative
body (public service)
Youth council

14. 14
Chambers of Labour
founded in 1918 under pressure from the trade union movement
legally regulated membership for all professionally active people
members appointed in list-based elections (trade union factions)
= institutions governed by public law, the rights and duties of which
are defined in law
Duties
Right to
assess
draft laws
Involvement in
commissions and
advisory committees
(labour market policy,
apprenticeships, etc.)
Appointment
and training of
lay judges in
industrial tribunals
and social courts
Posting of
representatives
to the
social security
sector
Research
for the unions

15. 15
The economic and social partnership
LK
 Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB)
 Chambers of Labour (AK)
 Austrian Economic Chamber (WKÖ)
 Chamber of Agriculture (LK)
Set up during reconstruction post-1945
Aim: to mediate between and reconcile the interests of workers and
employers

16. 16
Get unionised.
It pays !