80 years ÖGB: Lower Austria's success story for the future!

80 years ÖGB: Lower Austria's success story for the future!

St. Pölten, Österreich - On April 15, 2025, the 80th anniversary of the Austrian Trade Union Confederation (ÖGB) is celebrated. This significant ceremony emphasizes the achievements and the influence of the ÖGB on the history and reconstruction of Austria after the Second World War. Markus Wieser, Chairman of the ÖGB Lower Austria and President of the Lower Austria Chamber of Lower Austria, expressed that the successes of the association are not considered an end in itself, but as a necessity. The ÖGB has given the employee: always a strong voice inside and will continue to tackle the challenges of the future.

The ÖGB was founded on April 15, 1945 as a non -partisan organization, which was launched by member representatives of social democratic, communist and Christian unions. The ÖGB pursues the goal of representing the interests of employees and overcoming political trenches. In the past eight decades, the ÖGB has made a significant contribution to improving working conditions, promoting democracy and fighting right -wing extremism and fascism. He led millions of members through crises and campaigned for the enforcement of numerous collective contracts, as ÖGB

A look at the successes

The achievements of the ÖGB include important social laws such as the general social security law of 1955 and the introduction of the equal treatment law in 1979. These laws have contributed to increasing social standards in Austria. The achievements of the ÖGB women who have made significant progress in equality since 1945 are also particularly worth mentioning. These include the Maternity Protection Act of 1957 and the legal claim to Papamonat, which was introduced in 2019.

Wieser emphasizes in his statement that solidarity is the central value of the union movement. This value will also be reflected in the ongoing exhibition "History with the Future - 80 Years ÖGB Lower Austria", which recently opened in the employee: Innezentrum St. Pölten and can still be seen until April 29. In addition, the exhibition will be presented in other regions of Lower Austria in the course of the year. Admission is free and over 300 people came to the opening.

future challenges

If you look into the future, the ÖGB remains faced with new challenges, especially with regard to digitization, climate change and social inequality. In the anniversary year, the ÖGB plans various initiatives to support the younger generation and to focus on their concerns. The Austrian trade union youth (ÖGJ) was founded in 1945 to work for the interests of young people, and is currently pursuing the introduction of a minimum apprentice salary of 1,000 euros.

Through its international network of trade union organizations, the ÖGB also made a significant contribution to supporting refugees, both after the Second World War and during the conflicts in the 1970s and the Yugoslavia wars. The course of the trade union history clearly shows that the successes of the ÖGB are the resulting product of a strong community and solidarity, as

Finally, the anniversary of the ÖGB not only shows a successful past, but is also a clear mandate to preserve the achievements and continue to take advantage of the interests of the employees: inside. The challenges that lie ahead of us will undoubtedly require courage and determination, characteristics that the ÖGB have been characterized since its foundation.