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>>> Photos action day "Knitting for social warmth"

Two years ago members of works council in the social sector in Upper Austria announced the action “Knitting for social warmth”. They started together to knit the longest scarf in Austria – to highlight the lack of social warmth and empathy, especially visible in the treatment of employees. The trade unions GPA-djp and vida supported the action and Austria’s longest scarf of 6.427 metres has been knitted. Today, the scarf was presented in the centre of Vienna, alongside with concrete demands for better working conditions and higher income. Around 600 participants from all Austrian regions marched with the record-long scarf to the Finance ministry.

UNI Global Union supports the Austrian employees of the social and health sector in their fight for better working conditions. UNICARE Director Adrian Durtschi addressed the gathering: “Instead of exercising austerity measures, state, regions and communes need to invest in the social and health sector. More personnel and better working conditions are the key to ensure less burn outs and high quality of care and assistance.”

GPA-djp Chairman Wolfgang Katzian demanded better conditions for the employees and the strengthening of activating measures in the framework of demand-oriented minimum security. This with the aim to reach integration into the labour market with secure income instead of fostering precarious working conditions: “This, too, is part of social warmth – we need clear statements and an engaged fight against the debate of envy at the expense of the poor!”