AUSTRIA

 

ÖGB/GPA-djp - Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund/Gewerkschaft der Privatangestellten-Druck-Journalismus-Papier

(Austrian Trade Union Federation/Union of Salaried Private Sector Employees, Graphical Workers and Journalists)

Founded in 1945, the Austrian Trade Union Federation is the only Austrian organization representing the interests of workers based on voluntary membership. The number of members is now approximately 1.4 million, i.e. roughly 40 % of all those employed.

The highest body of the Austrian Trade Union Federation is the National Congress, which takes place every four years. The National Congress establishes priorities for the coming four-year period and elects the members of the ÖGB Presidium and the Audit Commission.

The Presidium, made up of the President, the Vice-Presidents, and the Executive Secretaries, coordinates the ÖGB’s daily work.

The supreme decision-making body in between National Congresses is the National Executive Board, consisting of Presidium members, representatives of unions (depending on their number of members), as well as the ÖGB’s women’s, youth, and pensioners’ departments.

For activities carried out at sectoral and industry levels, there are individual trade unions that act autonomously in their areas of interest and have partial legal personality. In the wake of mergers, their number has decreased in the past few years; this streamlining process will continue as part of ÖGB’s organizational reform. As of winter 2007, nine trade unions are organized under the umbrella of the ÖGB.

GPA-DJP is the Union of Salaried Private Sector Employees – Union of Printers, Journalists and Paper Workers.

The GPA-DJP has the most members within the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB).

GPA-DJP has the collective bargaining mandate for all apprentices and employees in the commercial sector.

At company level, the interests of employed persons are represented by works councils. For companies having more than five employees the Labor Constitution Act stipulates that a works council or staff representative be elected every four years. All employees are entitled to vote, not just trade union members. Works council members have special protection from dismissal. At company level they have clearly defined participation, information, intervention, and supervision rights.

The GPA was the first trade union organization which obligates itself to implement the strategy of gender mainstreaming.

Website: www.gpa-djp.at

Contact person: Mag.a Verena Nussbaum (Este endereço de email está protegido contra piratas. Necessita ativar o JavaScript para o visualizar.)


 

Nowa Training | Beratung |Projektmanagment

(Nowa  training | councelling | projectmanagement)

Nowa is a non-profit regional association above party lines with the City of Graz and surrounding municipalities as members. Nowa is active in the region since 1994 in the development and implementation of innovative strategies and concepts for the promotion of equal chances for all population groups and equality for women and men in the labour market, in vocational training, in general education and in regional development and economy.

Nowa is specialised in providing interfaces between partners from different fields of action and is highly competent in working within the architecture of national, international and multisectoral networks.

One of the main tasks is to boost life-long learning. Nowa provides a wide range of educational opportunities and supports access to technology. Therefore since 1995 Nowa runs an accredited   “Learning and Resource Center” in the City of Graz. It offers free use of computers and internet, advice for using free learning software, learn consulting, computer-aided learning, IT-coaching, courses and access to eLearning platforms in trainings.

Hallmark of a new teaching and learning culture is a fundamentally new understanding of learning. The outcome of this is a change in methodology and didactics, encouraging self-control, self-presentation and self-reliance of learners and the change of “teachers” to supporters and facilitators of learning processes.

The core competence of Nowa is the all-embracing expertise in creation, development, implementation and realization of innovative and professional ways of VET - always integrating gender sensitive methods and didactics and a diversity-perspective.

For 16 years Nowa operated a “VET- Center for Qualification Management” for companies and women to act against horizontal and vertical segregation in the labour market and develops new and tailor-made vocational trainings for adult women.

Nowa runs a “Gender-Competence-Centre”, which manages and acts as a consultant of implementation processes and delivers seminars to increase “Equality Know How” in political organisations, education institutions, NGOs.

Nowa consults private businesses in the field of HRM (recruiting, personnel development, quality management, marketing and company-culture, ..) with the focus on equality between women and men, diversity management and active aging to strength the competitiveness of regional businesses.

As a recognized expert-organization Nowa has extensive experience in “train the trainer” activities.

Website: www.nowa.at

Contact person: Eva Janusch (Este endereço de email está protegido contra piratas. Necessita ativar o JavaScript para o visualizar.)


 

Wirtschaftskammer Steiermark (WKO)

(Economic Chamber Styria – WKO)

We represent the interests of Styrian companies.

The Styrian Economic Chamber is a vital part of the Austrian Chamber system which was established by the Austrian legislative body to safeguard the interests of particular social and professional groups. We represent more than 65.000 member companies. As the voice of Styrian business, we are committed to forward-looking policies which benefit the economy e.g. tax relief, cutting red tape, subsidies. We actively participate in the law making process in respect of both federal and provincial laws and regulations.

We boost the economy through our comprehensive services.

The Styrian Economic Chamber is the first port of call for members who need information and advice. We are a modern service provider and offer fast expert advice on topics from labour laws to customs information.

We support Styrian companies with our expert knowledge.

Through our educational facilities – WIFI & Campus02 University of applied sciences – we contribute to improving the competitive ability of domestic companies. The Economic Chamber Organisation is the most important training partner for the benefit of its members.

Website: www.wko.at/stmk/handel

Contact person: Dr.in Isabella Schachenreiter-Kollerics (Este endereço de email está protegido contra piratas. Necessita ativar o JavaScript para o visualizar.)