Collective agreements

Employers and employees are represented by different entities that take part in collective bargaining. These bodies agree upon the working conditions of employees which are defined in the collective agreement. On the employers' side collective agreements are usualy concluded by the Economic Chamber, on the employees side by the Trade Union [Gewerkschaft].

Collective agreements primarily regulate reciprocal rights and obligations resulting from the employment.

Typical regulations in collective agreements are:

• Remuneration
• Continued remuneration in the event of absence
• Employment termination
• Working hours

Employees can invoke their rights and claims established in the collective agreement. Therefore it is important for businesses to know the current regulations of the collective agreement.

Further Links

Collective agreements can be downloaded for free from the following websites:

• Kollektivvertrag-Informationsplattform (→ ÖGB)^{German text}
• Kollektivvertragsdatenbank (→ WKO)^{German text}
• The collective agreements – legal bases and important terms (→ ÖGB)^{German text}

Legal bases

sections 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 15, 16, 17 and 160 of the Arbeitsverfassungsgesetz (ArbVG)