AK: A glimpse into Austrian Worker Descrimination Rights

Are there ways to handle worker discrimination in Austria? Yes!

How did I come across this information? When my husband and I as parents received a really helpful list describing all the things needed to prepare for our new baby. Things like getting her e-card and signing up for the governmental care-giver support or Kinderbetreuungsgeld. (I plan to write about that another time).

So AK stands for "Arbeiterkammer" or translated, "Chamber of Labor", and they (along with some other unions) have fought for things like:

  • eight-hour work day
  • unemployment insurance
  • five weeks vacation a year
  • parental leave
  • worker discrimination rights

Unfortunately their website which has lots of information is only in German, but fortunately with Google you can translate the entire website into another language by:

  1. Go to google.com and put in the URL https://www.arbeiterkammer.at.
  2. The first choice will say next to it "Translate this page".
  3. Done! You will get the site in the language you want.

Being able to translate this website made it possible for me to find information, like worker discrimination. 

Austria has an Equal Treatment Act (Gleichbehandlungsgesetz) which prohibits worker discrimination based on: gender (especially with reference to marital status or whether someone has children), ethnicity, religion or belief, age, and sexual orientation. You can find more here.

Experiences of discrimination © Andreas Kuffner
Statistical picture found on the AK website.

They have also published studies related to worker discrimination. In the article "New study: every second person affected by discrimination" dated June 17, 2019 it shares some statistics related to how the power imbalance between worker and employee has lead to lower pay, lack of career advancement and more. As you can see in the title of the article, this is not something small.

So what can you do if this happens to you? Well, Austria has some channels of support. One I found was on the AK website at the end of the page "Discrimination in the workplace". There you can find the contact information for the Vienna Equal Treatment Advocacy (Gleichbehandlungsanwaltschaft) which is +43/1/532 02 44, or the number to call for free from all over Austria 0800-206119. I called this number and was lucky to be able to speak in English with a person on the other line. They will offer consultation and support based on your situation.

I'm sure every situation is different. But since this service is free, it doesn't hurt to reach out and see if your work experience can be looked into. Even if you don't want to take any action, you can submit your story that would add to their statistics. Another way to get help would be finding out if your workplace has a union (or Gewerkschaft).

I'll end with a really nice way to learn more about the AK. The AK created a picture history of the existence of their organization which you can reach here.

Screenshot from AK's picture history.

 

German Exercise for the Week:

Übung für Büro Gespräch (Level: B1)
Here is a fill in the blank dialogue with two people talking about finding work. At the end you have a word list as well as the translation in English.

Popular posts from this blog

Old year reflections and new year dreams

Image
Being a big fan of self-reflection, I love to think about what is to come in the new year and dream. New Year's resolutions has been seen more now as a shallow promise to make a big change, but I like to think of this more as an opportunity to look back on the previous year and then stop and think about where I want to be, what I would like to do, the possibilities that await. And if you can find a friend or friends who are also into a review, then all the better! Sharing visions and dreams can sometimes really become fuel for a wonderful journey. I've put together 2 small things to get the conversation going. It's not all questions about the meaning of life, but allows for looking into the previous year and then a little thought as what is to come. I recommend this mini reflection workshop below. New Year Reflection Program #1 Find a friend or friends who want to reflect together! Make it a date :) #2 Sit down together and enjoy some snacks and tea/coffee.
Read more

Tool: Online map maker

Image
When you think of world maps, you might think of a history teacher, but generally not a music teacher. But it does come in handy! As a music teacher, part of what we can do is introduce musical instruments to students. Recently another music educator made a really cool lesson about castanets and so I asked if I could use her self-made castanets for Kindergarten students. When introducing the instrument to the students, it's good to mention where the instrument originated. And especially if they are younger students, having visuals is important.
Read more

Halfway in the year review (Level 10 Life)

Image
 So it's July and halfway through the year. It felt very good to finish June. The end of a studies and work semester, the completion of different group projects, and participating in 4 concerts was all part of June and despite getting sick the last Friday of the month, it all worked out. And funny enough, once I got the okay that things are settling down, the impulse to think of the future kicked in. Yes, of course I am enjoying this freedom of time with relaxation too. And I think when things slow down, one feel good thing is thinking positively about what is in the present and what is to come. So I looked at what I did last year December, the Old Year Reflections again and my last Level 10 Life. It was a good feeling to see that some things have already been completed, and also a reminder of old ideas. And I was motivated to then re-do my Level 10 Life. What is a Level 10 Life? It's a way to be intentional with your life focus(es). It's a concrete method to reflect and c
Read more