Contribution by the Party of Labour of Austria

Contribution of the Party of Labour Austria at the meeting of the European Communist Action

‘Conclusions and prospects for the labour movement in Europe’

 

Dear comrades,

Throughout Europe we are experiencing far-reaching attacks on the social and political rights of the working class and the popular strata. However, we are also experiencing repeated outbreaks of defensive struggles by the working class against these attacks.

In Austria, too, the social and political rights of the working class are under constant attack. It makes no difference which bourgeois party is in government - the dismantling of achievements that workers have fought for over decades continues unabated. And while the attacks are becoming increasingly brazen, the resistance remains limited.

This situation has historical roots. Since the founding of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) in 1945, the working class has been systematically disempowered by the system of social partnership. Communists who opposed the introduction of political factions within the union were soon ousted from important positions. When the strike wave of 1950 broke out, they were the only ones to support the struggle - while Social Democrats and Christian Socials mobilised thugs to attack the strikers and put down the strikes. One of the largest strikes in the history of the Second Republic was deliberately defamed as a communist coup attempt by the bourgeois parties and the capitalist occupying powers of Great Britain, France and the USA in order to delegitimise it and divide the labour movement. Numerous communists were subsequently expelled from the ÖGB. In some cases, communists had to leave their homes and move to other provinces in order to find a job again, as social democratic works councils and management kept lists of those who had taken part in the strikes and should no longer be employed. Since then, the dominance of the so-called labour aristocracy in the trade union has been consolidated and control over the ÖGB has been further expanded through undemocratic structures.

A particularly glaring example of the role of the ÖGB is the introduction of the 12-hour working day. While all bourgeois parties supported this massive attack on workers' rights during the election campaign, the trade union leadership remained silent. After the election, it was enough for a symbolic demonstration - but no labour struggle, no general strike, no serious resistance. The result was clear: the government was able to push through the law without any problems.

However, there are signs that resistance is forming. Inflation and rising prices hit the working class hard in 2022 and 2023 - and in autumn 2023 there was a wave of strikes in Austria for the first time in a long time. Even though the trade union leadership did everything it could to prevent an escalation, it became clear that there was a willingness to struggle.

At the time, the Social Democrats were still in opposition, but in the run-up to the National Parliament elections last autumn, it became clear that the Social Democrats did not want any unrest. Labour struggles were prevented at all costs with announcements.

A current example is the labour struggles in the public sector last autumn. The government delayed salary negotiations for months in order to deprive employees of the pay rise they deserved. Then the President of the Court of Audit even openly demanded a ‘zero wage round’ - which means that employees would have to accept a real wage loss due to inflation. The public service union (GÖD) called for mobilisation and spoke of taking action - but when things got serious, it bent over.

Two hours before the planned demonstration on 26 November, the union leadership pulled the ripcord. The official reason: a ‘satisfactory’ wage agreement had been reached. In fact, at 3.5 %, this was below the inflation rate of 3.8 % - a real wage loss. The demonstration was cancelled and buses full of protesters were sent back. But the base did not accept this: Hundreds of teachers and other employees took to the streets anyway, marching all the way to the GÖD headquarters. They demanded a vote on the collective labour agreement and a serious discussion about the massive grievances in their area of work. But the union leadership preferred to hide behind the police instead of facing up to the criticism.

The Social Democratic Party is now part of the current government together with the Conservatives and Liberals. The new government has two things written on its banner: firstly, that the state finances should be restructured and secondly, that rearmament and militarisation should be driven forward. Once again, the working class is to pay for this and numerous attacks on the social and political rights of the working class are planned. In view of the Social Democratic Party's participation in the government and trade union officials who have switched from trade union to ministerial positions, no resistance to the coming attacks can be expected from the trade union side.

Dear comrades, this is not an isolated case. Time and again we can see how the labour aristocracy in the trade union leadership and in the works councils stifles or even prevents labour struggles.

We therefore see the following points as the central task of Austrian communists:

Firstly, it is up to us in the coming period to intervene even more strongly in the workplaces and at the base of the trade unions and to expose the betrayals of the trade union leadership. Exposing the character of the so-called social partnership must be seen as central. This is a particular challenge in view of the social partnership institutionalised by the state in Austria.

Secondly, our party must concentrate on gaining a position in workplaces wherever possible as a prerequisite for the rebuilding of a class-orientated trade union movement. This is the only way to break the dominance of the labour aristocracy and the all-encompassing social partnership.

Thirdly, the further planned and structured development of the Party of Labour Austria as a communist, Marxist-Leninist party that can fulfil its claim and task as the vanguard of the working class. It must be put in a position to show the working class the only way out, the path of building socialism and communism.