Collective agreement for 60,000 employees: salary increase comes into force!

Collective agreement for 60,000 employees: salary increase comes into force!

After 11 weeks of intensive negotiations, unions and employers were able to conclude a new collective agreement for the electrical and electronics industry (EEI) in Austria. This agreement, which was achieved on June 6, 2025, affects around 60,000 employees and has significant wage increases. The negotiations were shaped by large differences between the two sides, but a compromise could be found by threats of strike and company meetings, which is considered viable on both sides. The chief negotiators of the unions were Reinhold Binder (Pro-Ge) and Eva Scherz (GPA).

The new regulations stipulate that the minimum wages, basic salaries and apprenticeship income increase by 3 % from May 1, 2025. Poisquer numbers of the actual wages and salaries are retrospectively increased by 2.75 %, the maximum raising is 115 euros. This achieves an average wage increase of around 2.15 %, which means, in particular for low and medium -sized income groups, permanent inflation compensation. The new minimum wage is 2,478.76 euros, and the mileage is raised to 50 cents per kilometer.

clause for economic difficulties

Another important element of the new collective agreement is the introduction of an recession clause. This clause enables companies that have had a negative EBIT for two years or have made more than 2 % loss in the last financial year to reduce the increase in the actual wages to up to 50 %. The unpaid amount can be converted into one -off payments or additional free time.

In addition, the leisure option for companies was extended by 2030. This element could be decisive for many companies in a changing economic landscape. The conclusion of the collective agreement is celebrated as a joint success of the works councils and employees and is part of a wider trend that is increasingly visible in the Austrian world of work. Similar increases were also achieved in other industries, such as the airport, woodworking and metal industry, with wages often increase by more than 3 %.

the comparison with other industries

While the electrical and electronics industry has now taken a significant step towards better working conditions, it turns out that wages in Austria are relatively high in the EU comparison. Austria has the third highest labor costs in the European Union, which makes negotiations on collective agreements even more decisive. Other sectors, such as the construction industry and trade, have recently been granted increases that are on average between 2.65 % and 3.9 %, which continues to drive the discussion about fair remuneration.

Overall, the new collective agreement in the electrical and electronics industry not only reflects an improvement for the employees, but also shows the commitment of the unions and employers to react to the economic challenges and ensure fair remuneration. The developments in the collective agreement are therefore of central importance for the future of the world of work in Austria.

For further details on the negotiations and the new framework, visit the articles on gpa and ÖGB .