Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Austrian Airlines cabin crew engage in intense negotiations, students find it difficult to reconcile work and study, Russia summons Austrian ambassador and other news from around Austria and Europe on Friday.
Austrian Airlines cabin crew engage in intense negotiations
Intense negotiations between Austrian Airlines (AUA) and its cabin crew are currently taking place, reported Kurier.
Last week, 120 flights were cancelled because the works council and the Vida trade union organised a large meeting for AUA's cabin crew. This meeting involved 1,300 out of 3,500 cabin crew members and was undertaken to negotiate employment terms and address complaints within the organisation.
Next week, the collective agreement for cabin crew is to be negotiated on five working days. If no satisfactory offer is reached for the cabin crew by the end of the week, strikes might be called for. Negotiations aim to address issues like pay increases and bringing AUA's salaries closer to those of Lufthansa, another airline in the group. Currently, AUA's cabin crew earn less than their counterparts in Lufthansa.
AUA has cancelled many flights due to these meetings, causing inconvenience to passengers. The airline suffered significant financial losses due to previous cancellations.
READ ALSO: Can I deduct the cost of a German language course in my Austrian tax return?
If German is not your mother tongue, you might have spent some time in a German class in Austria, but can those expenses be deducted from your taxes?
Students find it difficult to reconcile work and study
Two thirds of the students surveyed by the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labour stated that they could not afford to study without working. For more than 20 percent, studying is not compatible with their job.
When things get stressful at work, many neglect university, they say. It is also striking that almost half of those surveyed do not receive any financial support at all, such as a study grant, family allowance or similar. Only ten percent say that they manage to reconcile their studies with their job.
For many, inflation is having a massive impact. They cut back where they can, namely on food, social activities and hobbies. The double burden of studying and working due to financial problems leads to great pressure, which also has an impact on mental health: 47 percent are mentally unwell.
Russia summons Austrian ambassador
After Austria declared two Russian diplomats to be undesirable persons, Russia will summon Austria's ambassador to the Foreign Ministry, ORF reported. Retaliatory measures will be taken in due course, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"The Austrian authorities have declared two diplomats of the Russian embassy in Austria persona non grata for no reason. The Russian side strongly condemns this further unfriendly step by Vienna, for the consequences of which the Austrian authorities bear full responsibility," the statement reads.
As a spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) told APA on Wednesday evening, the two Russian diplomats "took actions that are incompatible with their diplomatic status". This wording is usually used when it comes to secret service activities.
Austrian tennis star Dominic Thiem thinks about ending his career
Dominic Thiem has still not won a match in the main event of a tournament in 2024.
On Wednesday, the former world number three lost his first round match at the Challenger in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, and was apparently considering quitting.
"If I keep losing, if I don't achieve a better ranking again, I will quit. You have to feel good in every job, otherwise it's time to change something," he explained in a statement on Ö3.
The 30-year-old from Lower Austria had already announced his retirement at the end of January if he did not improve significantly from his current position in the ATP rankings (No. 91) by then.
Following his defeat in Hungary against Poland's Daniel Michalski, ranked 295th in the world, he has now renewed his thoughts of retiring in the event of further sporting failures.
Sun, clouds and mild temperatures this weekend
The weekend offers mild temperatures in Austria, reported Die Presse. Saturday will bring a mix of clouds and sun with a chance of rain in the morning, especially in the mountains. Temperatures will reach around 2-10°C in the morning and later 11-17°C.
Sunday will be mostly sunny with a few clouds, which will increase later during the day. Temperatures will range from -1 to +8°C in the morning and 11-18°C later in the day.
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected] or leave a comment below.
READ ALSO: Austrian Airlines cancels over 100 flights on Thursday amid staff dispute
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Austrian Airlines cabin crew engage in intense negotiations
Intense negotiations between Austrian Airlines (AUA) and its cabin crew are currently taking place, reported Kurier.
Last week, 120 flights were cancelled because the works council and the Vida trade union organised a large meeting for AUA's cabin crew. This meeting involved 1,300 out of 3,500 cabin crew members and was undertaken to negotiate employment terms and address complaints within the organisation.
Next week, the collective agreement for cabin crew is to be negotiated on five working days. If no satisfactory offer is reached for the cabin crew by the end of the week, strikes might be called for. Negotiations aim to address issues like pay increases and bringing AUA's salaries closer to those of Lufthansa, another airline in the group. Currently, AUA's cabin crew earn less than their counterparts in Lufthansa.
AUA has cancelled many flights due to these meetings, causing inconvenience to passengers. The airline suffered significant financial losses due to previous cancellations.
READ ALSO: Can I deduct the cost of a German language course in my Austrian tax return?
If German is not your mother tongue, you might have spent some time in a German class in Austria, but can those expenses be deducted from your taxes?
Students find it difficult to reconcile work and study
Two thirds of the students surveyed by the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labour stated that they could not afford to study without working. For more than 20 percent, studying is not compatible with their job.
When things get stressful at work, many neglect university, they say. It is also striking that almost half of those surveyed do not receive any financial support at all, such as a study grant, family allowance or similar. Only ten percent say that they manage to reconcile their studies with their job.
For many, inflation is having a massive impact. They cut back where they can, namely on food, social activities and hobbies. The double burden of studying and working due to financial problems leads to great pressure, which also has an impact on mental health: 47 percent are mentally unwell.
Russia summons Austrian ambassador
After Austria declared two Russian diplomats to be undesirable persons, Russia will summon Austria's ambassador to the Foreign Ministry, ORF reported. Retaliatory measures will be taken in due course, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"The Austrian authorities have declared two diplomats of the Russian embassy in Austria persona non grata for no reason. The Russian side strongly condemns this further unfriendly step by Vienna, for the consequences of which the Austrian authorities bear full responsibility," the statement reads.
As a spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) told APA on Wednesday evening, the two Russian diplomats "took actions that are incompatible with their diplomatic status". This wording is usually used when it comes to secret service activities.
Austrian tennis star Dominic Thiem thinks about ending his career
Dominic Thiem has still not won a match in the main event of a tournament in 2024.
On Wednesday, the former world number three lost his first round match at the Challenger in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, and was apparently considering quitting.
"If I keep losing, if I don't achieve a better ranking again, I will quit. You have to feel good in every job, otherwise it's time to change something," he explained in a statement on Ö3.
The 30-year-old from Lower Austria had already announced his retirement at the end of January if he did not improve significantly from his current position in the ATP rankings (No. 91) by then.
Following his defeat in Hungary against Poland's Daniel Michalski, ranked 295th in the world, he has now renewed his thoughts of retiring in the event of further sporting failures.
Sun, clouds and mild temperatures this weekend
The weekend offers mild temperatures in Austria, reported Die Presse. Saturday will bring a mix of clouds and sun with a chance of rain in the morning, especially in the mountains. Temperatures will reach around 2-10°C in the morning and later 11-17°C.
Sunday will be mostly sunny with a few clouds, which will increase later during the day. Temperatures will range from -1 to +8°C in the morning and 11-18°C later in the day.
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected] or leave a comment below.
READ ALSO: Austrian Airlines cancels over 100 flights on Thursday amid staff dispute
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