AK Upper Austria: Record number of advice and millions for members!

The Chamber of Labor in Upper Austria (AK OÖ) recorded a record of help seeking help in 2024, inquiring with 343,529, which represents an alarming increase, especially after the Corona year 2020. A significant part of these inquiries focused on urgent issues such as outstanding wage and salary payments, overtime and dismissals. The President of the AK Upper Austria, Andreas Stangl, emphasized that the employees are often in precarious situations, especially in industries such as hospitality, trade and metal industry. Last year, the lawyers of the AK OÖ were able to fight for a total of 131.9 million euros for their members, which proves to be significant financial support, as meinbezirk.at reported.

The increase in inquiries in the area of care allowance was particularly striking, in which numerous assessments were classified as insufficient. Mr. Stangl pointed out that many of the attached reports do not reflect the actual state of health of those affected and that there can be false classifications. Daily legal proceedings in this area illustrate the urgent need for action to improve the quality of the assessments, as well as orf.at . In addition, the AK OÖ had to act more due to the increased demand in consumer protection, especially with regard to heating costs and internet fraud.

bankruptcy climb steeply

Another alarming result is the increasing number of bankruptcies in Upper Austria. In 2024, 366 companies registered bankruptcy, which leads to a doubling of the employees concerned to more than 6,600. One of the biggest bankruptcies is the motorcycle manufacturer KTM and other well -known companies. The increase in bankruptcy affects companies without a works council, which underlines the need for stronger legal support and information on employee rights.

Due to the intensive work, the Chamber of Labor was not only able to increase the number of successfully completed legal cases, but also its success rate in labor law to 76 percent. This once again shows the central role of the AK Upper Austria as a protective shield for employees in the region, especially in difficult economic times.