In the poll at the CES Congress in Berlin, Katzian won 96.0 percent of the vote, as announced on Friday. There were no other candidates. Katzian succeeds Frenchman Laurent Berger, who has held the position since 2019.
Wolfgang Katzian, head of the Austrian Trade Union Confederation (ÖGB), was elected President of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). In the poll at the CES Congress in Berlin, Katzian won 96.0 percent of the vote, as announced on Friday. There were no other candidates. Katzian succeeds Frenchman Laurent Berger, who has held the position since 2019.
After Fritz Verzetnitsch, the 66-year-old trade unionist and SPÖ politician is the second ÖGB president to hold a senior position in the European organization. Verzetnitsch was president of the CES from 1993 to 2003. Since 2003, the presidency of the CES has only been granted for a term of four years.
As part of the regular renewal of CES management positions, the Irishwoman Esther Lynch, in office since 2022, was confirmed as secretary general of the tutelary organisation. A total of six positions in the General Secretariat and eight positions in the Chair were filled.
Katzian: “I will seize this opportunity with all my heart”
“It is a great honor for me,” Katzian thanked the delegates, “I will seize this opportunity wholeheartedly, with great commitment and full of energy to help shape the development of the trade union movement in Europe.” The axes of work for the next four years, which were decided by the nearly 500 delegates of the ETUC Congress in the “Berlin Manifesto”: Effective measures against inflation, reduction of wage costs and greater voice of the workers.
In his new position, the “Ardent European” Katzian wants to work mainly for the four-day week and for an expansion of collective agreements (KV) in European countries. Because people’s income situation is the focus everywhere. In Germany, KV coverage is 50 percent, in Estonia it is just six percent, while in Austria it is 98 percent, Katzian said in the morning newspaper Ö1. This must first be tackled at European level. Katzian’s target: more than 80% across Europe.
Without any ifs or buts, the new CES boss also advocates introducing a four-day week across Europe. However, this requires laws in each country, and it will be difficult to find a general European regulation here. However, Katzian would at least like a legal framework and the incorporation of working time agreements into collective agreements.
Four-day week for Katzian “at least possible”
In any case, the four-day week is possible. This doesn’t mean “every four days works and the three days aren’t there at the same time”. Instead, the employees’ needs and desires would blend with the company’s possibilities. An “exciting process”, as Katzian says. He points out that many companies are already testing the four-day week and some have even adopted it in the standard system – not just in Austria.
93 trade union confederations from 41 European countries and ten European trade union centrals belong to ETUC. The association turns 50 this year.
(APA)