Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Nehammer calls on Gazprom to fill gas storage, care staff demo, billions spent on short term work and more news on Friday.
Nehammer calls on Gazprom to fill empty Salzburg gas storage facility
Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) has called on the Russian energy giant Gazprom to refill its large gas storage facility in Haidach immediately. The storage facility in Salzburg is currently empty according to data from the European industry association GIE. Nehammer told the "Kleine Zeitung" newspaper he would not nationalize the Gazprom storage facility, although Haidach is strategically important for both Germany and western federal states in Austria. Nehammer said if Gazprom did not fill the storage facility, other energy companies should use it.
He also reiterated his plan to skim profits off energy companies, saying he had asked the Minister of Finance to “draw up proposals." During the wide-ranging interview he also said he did not support the idea of a European army.
Thousands of care staff demonstrate for better pay and conditions
Around 10,000 people took part in a demonstration for better pay and condition for care workers in Vienna on Thursday. Workers also made demands for a 30 or 35 hour week and more staff. As the Local reported on Thursday, the Austrian government unveiled a care reform package on the same day as the demonstration to coincide with national nurses day. The demonstration was organised by the "Health Offensive" group, an association of the trade unions vida, GÖD, Gpa, Younion, the Vienna Medical Association, the Chamber of Labor and the ÖGB.
READ MORE: More pay and longer holidays: How Austria hopes to attract 75,000 new nurses
Short time work cost Austria 9.5 billion euros during the pandemic lockdowns
From March 2020 to the end of March 2022, government spending on Covid short-time work amounted to 9.56 billion euros, according to a report by Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) to the Social Affairs Committee of the National Council.
In a committee discussing the findings, Kocher spoke out in favour of restricting short-time work with stricter access rules. Entrepreneurial risk should not be offset by short-time work, he said, according to a report by broadcaster ORF.
One Covid-19 pandemic initiative, which allowed parents to be released from work if they had to look after their children at home during to the pandemic, cost around 20.1 million euros in total.
Vienna trials Supergrätzel in Favoriten
Vienna is hoping to emulate Barcelona and implement a Supergrätzel, or superblock in the capital's Favoriten district. Barcelona began rolling out its traffic free superblocks in 2016, and managed to reduce noise and pollution in parts of the city.
The area between Gudrunstrasse, Leebgasse, Quellenstrasse and Neilreichgasse in Favoriten has been chosen as the pilot area. The goals are traffic calming, increasing the quality of stay and reducing heat islands. This should be made possible through traffic-calming and funnelling traffic to the outer borders of the quarter. Residents will have the final say over the pilot project and if it should continue.
The Krone reports the Supergrätzel pilot phase will last until September.
Comments
See Also
Nehammer calls on Gazprom to fill empty Salzburg gas storage facility
Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) has called on the Russian energy giant Gazprom to refill its large gas storage facility in Haidach immediately. The storage facility in Salzburg is currently empty according to data from the European industry association GIE. Nehammer told the "Kleine Zeitung" newspaper he would not nationalize the Gazprom storage facility, although Haidach is strategically important for both Germany and western federal states in Austria. Nehammer said if Gazprom did not fill the storage facility, other energy companies should use it.
He also reiterated his plan to skim profits off energy companies, saying he had asked the Minister of Finance to “draw up proposals." During the wide-ranging interview he also said he did not support the idea of a European army.
Thousands of care staff demonstrate for better pay and conditions
Around 10,000 people took part in a demonstration for better pay and condition for care workers in Vienna on Thursday. Workers also made demands for a 30 or 35 hour week and more staff. As the Local reported on Thursday, the Austrian government unveiled a care reform package on the same day as the demonstration to coincide with national nurses day. The demonstration was organised by the "Health Offensive" group, an association of the trade unions vida, GÖD, Gpa, Younion, the Vienna Medical Association, the Chamber of Labor and the ÖGB.
READ MORE: More pay and longer holidays: How Austria hopes to attract 75,000 new nurses
Short time work cost Austria 9.5 billion euros during the pandemic lockdowns
From March 2020 to the end of March 2022, government spending on Covid short-time work amounted to 9.56 billion euros, according to a report by Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) to the Social Affairs Committee of the National Council.
In a committee discussing the findings, Kocher spoke out in favour of restricting short-time work with stricter access rules. Entrepreneurial risk should not be offset by short-time work, he said, according to a report by broadcaster ORF.
One Covid-19 pandemic initiative, which allowed parents to be released from work if they had to look after their children at home during to the pandemic, cost around 20.1 million euros in total.
Vienna trials Supergrätzel in Favoriten
Vienna is hoping to emulate Barcelona and implement a Supergrätzel, or superblock in the capital's Favoriten district. Barcelona began rolling out its traffic free superblocks in 2016, and managed to reduce noise and pollution in parts of the city.
The area between Gudrunstrasse, Leebgasse, Quellenstrasse and Neilreichgasse in Favoriten has been chosen as the pilot area. The goals are traffic calming, increasing the quality of stay and reducing heat islands. This should be made possible through traffic-calming and funnelling traffic to the outer borders of the quarter. Residents will have the final say over the pilot project and if it should continue.
The Krone reports the Supergrätzel pilot phase will last until September.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.