Austrian Chemical Firms Agree to Wage Deal as Industry Output Slumps 18%
12.06.2026 - 11:55:48 | boerse-global.de
Production in Austria’s chemical sector has fallen by nearly a fifth over the past three years, and roughly 600 jobs disappeared in the final quarter of 2025 alone. Against that grim backdrop, employers and unions have hammered out a collective agreement covering about 50,000 workers.
The deal, reached during an eighth round of talks, takes effect retroactively from May 1. Actual wages and salaries will rise 1.8 percent, capped at a maximum increase of 100 euros per employee. In addition, workers receive a one?time payment of 300 euros — or can opt for an extra day off instead.
Minimum contract wages and apprentice pay will go up uniformly by 2.0 percent. The industry’s previous minimum wage stood at 2,477 euros. Negotiators used a rolling inflation rate of 3.35 percent as a benchmark.
Strikes Paved the Way
The path to a compromise was anything but smooth. On June 10 and 11, employees staged walkouts at sites in the Chemiepark Linz — operated by Aurorium, Nufarm, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Borouge International — as well as at Novartis plants in Tyrol and an Air Liquide facility in Lower Austria.
Unions ensured that critical infrastructure, including hospital supply lines, remained unaffected during the industrial action.
Employer Calls Deal “Barely Justifiable”
Ernst Gruber, speaking for the Federation of the Austrian Chemical Industry (FCIO), described the outcome as “barely justifiable.” The sector is mired in a downturn, he noted, with production shrinking 18 percent over three years.
Unions had originally demanded 3 percent to keep pace with rising consumer prices. The agreed?upon raise falls short of that.
Social Upgrades Alongside Pay
The package also contains non?monetary improvements. Parents of children with disabilities will receive an additional week of care leave. Apprentices who complete their training with distinction collect a 150?euro bonus; those who finish with “good” marks get 100 euros.
