civil affairs handbook austria section 9

8/4/2019 Civil Affairs Handbook Austria Section 9

1/99

LJ4_

CIVIL AFFAIRS HANDBOOK

AUSTRIASECTION 9: LABOR

/A'-p

x.i^9CL SS\iifEUDissemination of restricted matter. - The information con-

tained in restricted documents and the essential characteristics of restrictedmaterial may be given to any person known to be in the service of the UnitedStates and to persons of undoubted loyalty and discretion who are cooperatingin Government work, but will not be communicated to the public or to the pressexcept by authorized military public relations agencies. (See also par. 18b,AR 380-5, 28 Sep 1942.)

HEADQUARTERS, ARMY SERVICE FORCES,

ARMY SERVICE FORCES MANUAL

I -- I I I I I

22 JANUARY 1944


2/99

ARMY SERVICE FORCES MANUAL M360-9Civil Affairs

CIVIL AFFAIRS HANDBOOK

AUSTRIASECTION 9: LABOR

HEADQUARTERS, ARMY SERVICE FORCES, 22 JANUARY 1944

S. * Dissemination of restricted matter. - The information con-tained in restricted documents and the essential characteristics of restrictedmaterial may be given to any person known to be in the service of the UnitedStates and to persons of undoubted loyalty and discretion who are cooperatingin Government work, but will not be communicated to the public or to the pressexcept by authorized military public relations agencies. (See also par. 18b,AR 380-5, 28 Sep 1942.)

I -- I -- b -L L

I - I - - I II II I II I I


3/99

NUMBERING SYSTEM OF

ARMY SERVICE 'FORCES MANUALS

The main subject matter of each Army Service Forces Manual is indicatedby consecutive numbering within the-following categories:

Mi - M90MiOO - M199M200 - M299M300 - H399M400 - 11499M500 - M599M600 - M699_700 - M7991800 - 18991900 - Up

Basic and Advanced Training.Army Specialized Training Program and Pre-

Induction TrainingPersonnel and MoraleCivil AffairsSupply and TransportationFiscalProcurement and ProductionAdministration

MiscellaneousEquipment, Materiel, Housing and Construction

* * *

HEADQUARTERS, ARMY SERVICE FORCES,Washington 25, D. C., 22 January 1944.

Army Service Forces Manual M 360 - 9, Labor in Austria; has been

prepared under the supervision of The Provost Marshal General and is published

for the information and guidance of all concerned.

LSPX4e1 (21 Sep 43)Z

By command of Lieutenant General SOMERVELL:

W. D. STYER,Major General, General Staff Corps,

Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:J. A. ULIO,

Major General,Adjutant General.


4/99

This study on Labor in Austria was prepared for the

MILITARY GOVERNMENiT DIVISION, 01'PICE 07 THE PROVOST MARSHAL GENRALby the

B!TREAU 07 LABOR STATISTICS, UJNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Officers using this material are requested to make suggestions andcriticisms indicating the revisions or additions which would makethis material more usefu~ltr their purposes. These criticisms 'shouldbe sent to TEE CHIRP OP THE LIAISON AND STUDIES BRANCH, MILITARY GOVERN-MENT DIVISION, PMGO, 2807 MUNITIONS BUILDING, WASHINGTON 25, D. C.


5/99

INTRODUCTION

burposes of the Civil Affairs Handbook.The basic purposes of civil affairs officers are (1) to assist theCommanding General by quickly establishing those orderly conditionswhich will contribute most effectively to the conduct of military operations,

(2) to reduce to a minimm the human suffering and the material damageresulting from disorder, and (3) to create the conditions which will makeit possible for civilian agencies to tunction effectively.

The preparation of Civil Affairs Handbooks is a part of the effortto carry out these responsibilities as efficiently and humanely as possible.The Handbooks do not deal with plans or policies (which will depend uponchanging and unpredictable developments). It should be clearly understoodthay they donot imlr any given official irogram of action. They arerather ready reference source books containing the basic factual informa-ation needed for planning and policy making,


6/99


7/99

TAEBIB OF CONTENTS

PageSUMMARY 1POLITI CAL BACKGROUND 5

1 EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT 7Employment in Pre-Reich Austr ia 7

Industrial distribution 7

Regional distribution 13

Agriculture 13Mining 13

Fisheries 14Manufactures 14

Unemployment 20

Employment, 1929-1938 24Foreign workers 25

Internal migration 28

Child labor 30

Women workers 31

2. EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES 32

3. WAGES, HOURS, AND WORKING CONDITIONS 34Methods of wage fixing 34

General level of wages 35

Value of Austrian money in

United States currency 35

GLAS,:- is


8/99

Trend of wages,1929-1936Deducations from wages

Wages in selected industries and occupations

in the Vienna district, 1936

Wages and labor conditions in individual

industries

Agriculture

Coal mining

Iron and steel industry

Automobile industry

Chemical industry

Paper industry

Wool industry

Shoe industryHours of labor and overtime

Holidays and vacations with pay

Family allowances and child endowment

4. LABOR LEGISLATION All LABOR POLICIES

(a) Administrative agencies

(b) Labor laws and regulations

5. LABOR ORGANIZATIONSBeneficial activities of unions

Press and educational activities

Trade onion pressEducational activities

The Government and labor undo

- ii -

Page36

38

39

42*4546

46

474748

48

49

49

50

50

52

52

52

54

57

58

5858

59


9/99


10/99

PageThe reorganization of social in ce of 1935 8?Introduction of Gera social insurance in Austria 88

O!DULIS! 0? RI 01 89

40


11/99

-

SUMMARY

Employment.-Of Austria's population, which totaled 6,760,233in 1934 (the date of the latest cenbus) 3,248,265 or 47 percent weregainfully occupied. Close to one-third of these were engaged inagriculture and forestry, while about one-third were engaged inindustry and handicrafts. The number of women workers amounted to33.7 percent of the total number of gainfully occupied persons.

A large proportion of industry is concentrated in Vienna(31.6 percent) and Lower Austria (23.2 percent). The second mostimportant industrial area is Styria with 16.3 percent of the totalnumber of industrial undertakings. Upper Austria ranks third(10.5 percent) in industrial concentration.

One of the serious problems which faced the Republican Government,established immediately after the first World War, was that of unemploy-ment, which reached its peak in 1933, when 12.8 percent (405,740)of the total working population were registered as unemployed. Mostaffected were the metals and engineering industries with 18.8 percentand the building industry with 18.7 percent of their workers idle.Beginning with 1934, the number of unemployed dropped year by year,but there still were 281,401 persons unemployed prior to Austria'sannexation by Germany in 1938. The original unemployment relief systemwas gradually converted into unemployment insurance. In additionto public works programs, various other schemes were devised tocreate employment. An act for the protection of the native labor marketwas passed in 1925, prohibiting the employment of foreign workers.

Enployment agencies.--Prior to 1935, private employment agencies,incorporated in the public employment system together with publicexchanges, were responsible for the placing of skilled workers.Communal exchanges dealt almost entirely with unskilled labor. In1935, the employment agencies were reorganized and established asFederal authorities. With the annexation of Austria by Germany,the employment exchanges were incorporated into the German laborexchange system.

Wages, hours, and working conditions.--Various methods of wagefixing were in use after World War I. Collective bargaining, generallyadhered to since 1919, was replaced in 1936 by a system of compulsoryarbitration by corporative committees, applying to industry, mining,handicrafts, and commerce, wherever no agreement had been reached.After the annexation by Germany, the German system of wage fixing bythe Government was applied.

UN SS IE


12/99

The lurone (par value of one krone was 0O.290 in U. S. currency)was the Austrian currerncy up to 1925, when the schilling wasintroduced as the new official currency. A schilling contained 100Groschen with a par value of 14.07 cents in U. S. currency. When theReichsmark bqcame the official currency for Austria, the schilling wasfixed at 1.5 per one German Reichsmark.

The earnings of Austrian workers were generally lower than thosein the larger industrial countries, although the lower Austrian wagelevel was ooidpensated for by certain social advantages such as lowrents through rent control and many benefits provided by socialinsurance, In 1936, highest weekly wages were paid in the brewingindustry (78.56 schillings for skilled workers), while unskilled workersin china manufacturing received the lowest initial. ages per week.Among the skilled trades the highest maximum wage rates were thosefor machine compositors (102.60 per week). Deductions from wagesand salaries for contributions to social insurance and taxes werecomparatively high, ranging from 7 percent of the wage of a workerearning 95 schillings per week to 15 percent of the wage of a workerwith weekly earnings of 25 schiflings.

Under the Republic, hours of labor were fixed at eight per day and46 per week. Ordinary overtime was paid for at 50 percent above thenormal rate, while night work and work on Sundays and holidays werepaid for at double the normal rate, Collective agreements differedgreatly as regards the number of paid holidays. In a number ofindustries an allowance of two to five paid holidays per year was customary.Family allowances were paid to employees in industry, banking, andpublic service. In some industries outside of Vienna, familyallowances were paid to wage earners at fixed holxrly rates.

Labor legislation and labor policies.- Legislation for th e pro-tection of workers was based on the Industrial Code of 1859 andnumerous special acts pertaining to working conditons, rest periods,wage payments, and employment contracts. The Ministry of SocialAdministration had authority in all matters pertaining to labor andrelated fields. A Bureau of Social Policy within the Ministry hadspecific authority in questions concerning labor standards and workers'protection, and had jurisdiction over conciliation and employmentagencies and works councils. In each of the States a chamber oflabor was established in 1921, for the purpose of representing theinterests of workers and to give advisory opinions to administrativeand legislative authorities. Works councils were established in 1919to represent workers' interests in each factory, and to execute laborlaws and regulations-. The works council system was reorganizedin 1934 and adjusted to the new social structure by the WorksCommunity Act.

. sIs


13/99

-3-

Labor organizations .- Under th e Republic, the Austrian tradeunion movement consisted of 49 unions comprising 3,068 localbranches and representing in 1932 a membership of 674,144. Sometrade unions, such as the building trades, were organizedvertically, including all workers from the raw material to the finishedproduct, while others, such as the "Technical Union," had a horizontalstructure. In 1928, the former Trade Union Commission was convertedinto a Federation of Free Trade Unions. There existed various competingtrade union groups, each controlled by a political party. In 1932the largest proportion of organized workers (77.2 percent) belonged tothe Free Trade Unions, controlled by the Social Democratic Party,14.9 percent belonged to the Christian Trade Unions, and 7.9 percentwere members of unions .controlled by the Pan-German Party. The FreeTrade Union Center of Austria was a member of the InternationalFederation of Trade Unions.

A variety of beneficial and educational activities werecarried on by the unions. Most important among these were thepayment of benefits during unemployment or strike, sickness, invalidity,old age, and death. Special workers' education was carried on by theEducational Center, and many schools and lectures were organizedby individual unions, some of which also owned their own libraries.

The Free Trade Unions, which had been recognized and protectedby the Government since 1918, were dissolved in 1934 and replaced bya unitary trade union; the new Federation of Trade Unions existeduntil German annexation in 1938, when Austrian labor was incorporatedinto the German Labor Front.

Industrial relations.--Until the early thirties,conditions ofemployment in Austria were generally regulated by collective agreements.After 1919, disputes between employers and workers were settled byconciliation boards. There were 12 conciliation boards, primarilyintended for the settlement of collective disputes, although thedistinction between collective and individual disputes was not sharplydrawn. After the dissolution of trade unions in 1934, the newlyestablished Federation of Trade Unions was authorized to become aparty to new collective agreements. In July 1938, all existingagreements were terminated and gradually replaced by wagescales fixed by the Government.

Under the Republic, strikes and lockouts were permitted andoccurred not infrequently, with the largest number of disputes (266)in 1928 involving 38,290 workers. The policy of the Government wasrevised in 1933, when strikes and lockouts were prohibited andpenalties instituted.

|JN -,y^


14/99

Cooperatives.--Almost every form of cooperative society existedin Austria. Under the Republic, consumers' associations and agricul-tural societies increased greatly in both number and membership.Large district societies, formed from smaller societies, werecharacteristic of the Austrian consumers' movement.

Consumer cooperatives, largely dominated by working classmembers, increased their sales by some 44,000,000 schillings (from103,463,940 to 147,754,616 schillings) between 1923 and 1930. Inthe same years, the business of the consumer cooperative wholesalealmost doubled (rising from a total of 46,656,420 to 91,854,806schillings)--an increase which indicated both the growingefficiency of the wholesale and the enlarged purchases of theaffiliates. Though Austrian consumer purchasing power dropped 25to 30 percent during 1931, consumer cooperative sales fell only6-3/4 percent. The greater part of this decline was caused by adecrease in cooperative production, particularly in the clothingfactories.

Though the consumer cooperatives were taken over by theGovernment when the corporative State was established under Dr. Dollfussin 1934, the business of the local associations and the wholesale de-clined only some 10,000,000 schillings each a year during the disturb-ance. This decline was quickly recouped when the consumer cooperativesregained autonomy; consumer cooperative sales reaching 118,000,000schillings in 1935 and 121,000,000 schillings in 1936, and.wholesalebusiness rising from 69,000,000 to 74,000,000 schillings during thesame year. When the Germans occupied Austria and brought the consumercooperative organization under National Socialist control in 1938,the movement included 220 local associations and 300,000 households.The German Labor Front took over the property and assets of the consumercooperatives in 1941. Agricultural productive and rural creditcooperatives had developed well under the Republic and the corporativeState.

Social insurance.-The Austrian social insurance system includedcompulsory sickness insurance for all wage earners and salaried em-ployees, invalidity and old-age pensions for salaried employees andminers, compulsory unemployment insurance covering all wage earnersand salaried employees, and workmen's compensation for workers inindustry, commerce, agriculture, and forestry.

After 1934, the scope of the accident insurance was enlargedand the contributions were increased, while the cash benefits of thesickness insurance were reduced.

On January 1, 1939, the Austrian social insurance scheme wasreplaced by the German system. The change, however, did notseriously affect the existing conditons.

C


15/99

- 5

Political Background

The independent State of Austria, when annexed by Germany inMarch 1938,was about the size of the states of Vermont, New Hampshire,Massachusetts, and Connecticut, with a population of somewhat lessthan 7,000,000. In the pre-war days of the Habsburg dynasty, theAustro-Hungarian Empire, which was many times the size of post-warAustria, had a population of 52,000,000, composed of various nationalitiesof central and southeastern Europe.

On November 12, 1918 Austria was proclaimed a Federal Republic,formed from the predominantly German-speaking regions of the oldEmpire and comprising eight states and the mediatized City of Vienna.During the years following the establishment of the Republic, thenew Austria, greatly reduced in size and in population, xperiencedan economic plight equalled by few countries in world history.The provisions of the Peace Treaty of Saint Germain affectingAustria had created serious economic problems in that country.

During the early period from November 1918 to October 1922, theefforts of the Republican Government were concentrated on overcomingthe worst economic effects and to prevent a complete economicbreakdown. While the Government was endeavoring to keep Austriaalive, a democratic constitution was worked out and adopted in1920. The basic principles of the Constitution guaranteed thepeople of Austria rights and freedoms similar to thoseexpressed inthe American Constitution. A number of political parties cameinto existence during this period. Among these the Socialists, theChristian Socialists, the Agrarians, and the Greater Germans wereforemost in their efforts for control of the country. Up to 1934,the various national governments were constituted of coalitions ofseveral of the political parties.

The Geneva Agreement, a new scheme for the economic reconstruc-tion of Austria with the support of the League of Nations, inaugurateda period of rehabilitation beginning in October 1922. The plansucceeded in stabilizing the currency and restoring the equilibriumof the national budget. To stem the tide of political unrest,Chancellor Dollfuss dissolved the National Parliament in March 1933.Nevertheless, the country's political and economic difficultiescontinued, leading increasingly to disturbances and open strifebetween workers and opposing factions, climaxed by the shellingof the Karl Marx House and other model workmen's dwellings in Viennain 1934. A new constitution was introduced in May 1934, establishinga corporative State on an ostensibly "Christian" foundation.The Christian Socialist Party, merging with the Nationalist Militia(Heimwehr) under the name of Fatherland Front, abolished all otherpolitical parties and labor organizations and remained the onlyfaction in power. ._ '

r.


16/99

-6-

The suppression of all opposition parties led to an uprising bythe Austrian Nazis in July 1934. Although Dr. Doilfuss, theChancellor,was assassinated in this coup, the Nazis failed in theirattempt to gain political control. Under pressure of internaldisorders, the Government of Dollfuss' successor, Dr. Schuschnigg,continued to rule with dictatorial powers until the annexationof Austria by Germany in March 1938, when the country ceased toexist as an independent nation and was made part of the German Reich.

Racial composition.-In contrast to the great variety of raceswhich made up the population of the old Austro-HIungarian Dupire,.the people of the Republic of Austria were pre-dominantly ofGerman blood. In 1934, there was a Jewish population of 191,481.Of the non-German element in the country, the largest group were theCzechs,. numbering 4,251 in 1934, 46,000 of whom were located inVienna and tower Austria. The second largest non-German stock were42,354 Croatians, 40,500 of whom were living in Burgenland. Thethird largest non-German group were the Slovenes with 31,703 people,of whom 26,796 resided in Carinthia. In 1934, there were, further-more, 18,076 Magyars, 3,615 Slovtks, and 23,317 of various otherracial stocks.

L00 C


17/99

-7-

u EPLoYMENT ANDe-Rich ATST&p~loymentt in pret Reich Austria~i

Industrial Distribution

The latest population figures for the independent State ofAustria (i.e. prior to its seizure by Germany in 1938). are thoseof th e Austrian Census of 1934. According to this census the totalpopvlation of Austria numbered 6,760,233 or 3,248,265 males and3,511,968 females. Of the 4me population 2,100,639 or 64.7 per centand 1,069,633 or 30.5 per cent of the female population were gainfullyoccupied, the total number of occupied persons amounting to 3,170,272or 47 per cent of thee total population. The term gainfully occupied,as used in the Austrian Census, included all persons normally withgainful occupations, whether employed or unemployed at the time ofthe census.

Close to one-third of the gainfully occupied population wasengaged in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Approximately one-thirdwas engaged in industry and handicrafts. The complete industrialdistribution of the gainfully occupied population is shown in thefollowing table.


18/99

Table l.-Gainfully Occupied Population by Industry Group andby Sex, Austria, 1934 1/

Industry Male Female Total

Agriculture, forestry, and fishingMining, saltworks, and peat diggingIndustry and handicraftsTransport and communicationCommerce, banking, insurance (in-

cluding hotels)Public administration, army,

national defense, and religionProfessional servicesDomestic serviceOther and unspecifiedTotal

654,22021,904792,376134,004233,072100,85676,19428,36659,647

2,100,639

349,741937

244,35911,322148,34119,04469,800

191,04535,04.

1,-069,633

/ Source: International Labor Office, Yearbook of Labor Statistics, 1937.

= -~~ :

"7~i~I 3:

1,003,96122,841

1,036,735145,326381,413119,900145,994219,41194,691

3,170,272


19/99

9-

The largest number of pers'ons in industrial employmentwere engaged in th e metal and iron industry; nex t in the order ofimportance were apparel, construction, and food. Under theclassification "professional services"' were included health,education, art, and entertainment, and legal, technical, andcommercial services. "Domestic service" includes personal services(cleaning establishments, barber shops, etc.). Restaurants, likehotels, were included under "commerce, banking, insurance." Thefollowing table shows the industrial distribution of persons withgainful occupations. according to the kind of service performed.


20/99

Table 2.--Number of Persons with Gainful Occupations by.Industry Groupand Type of Service, Austria, 1934 ~

Industry Number employed by ty e of service 2/Employers and Salaried Wage UnpaidTctal independent employees earners Apprentices famiJlyworkers worker

Agriculture, forestry,and fishingpining, saltworks andpeat diggingIndustry and handicrafts~Transport and communica-tionsXCommerce, banking,Sinsurance (includinghotels)PNblic administration,army, national defense,and religionProfessional servicesDomestic serviceOther .and unspecifiedTotal

1,003,96122,,841

1,036,735145,326

381,413

119,900145,994219,41194,691

3,170,272

290,72747165,860

9,417

128,919

27,87025,920905

649,665

11,4841,849

102,39243,333

131,624

56,4749p2,7668,84,211,9475

460,239

347,04820,858

717 02392,097

92,700

63,42424,590180,24380,992

1,618,975

952 353,75077

43,525136

11,886

24513,7791,297

107,935

343

16,284

3176272262,105 379,288

- 6 7408ABCD

~/Source: Statistieches Jahrbuch fir den Sundesstaat Osterreich, Vol. XVII, Vienna, 1937.~/Including unemployed.


21/99

-11 :-

The preceding table shows that the largest number of wageearners were engaged in industry and handicraft. Agrizulture(with forestry and fishing) ranks first on the list of industrygroups with regard to the number of employers or independentworkers; a large part of the 290,727 persons in this group wasapparently made up of peasants and fishermen. At the same time,more than one-third of persons employed in this group were unpaidfamily workers.

In table 3 ,the number of enterprises .fr.mploying over500 persons and the number of employees therein are shown byindustries.


22/99

Table 3.--Number of Industrial Enterprises and Enployed byIndustry Group and Size of Enterprise, Austria,

1930 /

Enterprises with over 500 emploedIndustry Number of Number Number of Number

enterprises employed enterprises employed

Stone, earth, clay, glass 3,417 44,392 7 4,570Building construction and_auxiliary trades 13,322 123,233 13 9,654

ectric works, power install-tions and water works 1,008 8,071 2 1,272on and metal 24,476 184,257 42 44,388oden, wicker, and carved goods 29,259 89,585

'ather and hides 3,617 13,981 1 952tile 4,237 77,121 21 18,256

apare1 64,271 153,436 2 1,225Paper 1,202 30,852 8 6,266Graphic 3,300 24,102 4 2,654Chemical including linoleum andrubber 1,428 27,346 7 7,741

Food 21,360 109,592 21 17,953

Total 170,897 885,968 128 114,931

f Sources Statistiaches Jabrbuch fiir den Bundesstaat Osterreich, Vol. XIV, Vienna, 1933.

7408ABCD


23/99

- 13-

Regioal Distribution'

AgricultureAgriculture, including forestry, is still an impor tant occupation

of the country. In 1930 the total acreage amounted to 7,628,467hectares (= 18,842,313 acres). The size of farms in Austria is asfollows: under 0.5 hectares - 2.91 percent; from 0.5 to 5 hectares -9.13 per cent; from 5 to 20 hectares - 30,68 percent; from 20 to 50hectares - 17.98 per cent; from 50 to 200 hectares - 15,92 per cent;over 200 hectares - 23.38 per cent,

Austria's total acreage in 1930 was distributed over the ninestates as follows: Vienna, 6,200 hectares;.Lower Austria, 1,761,906hectares; Upper Austria, 1,143,008 hectares; Salzburg, 662,032 hectares;Styria, 1,512,741 hectares; Carinthia, 876,771 hectares; Tyrol1,089,588 hectares; Vorarlberg, 228,528 hectares; Burgenland, 343,693hectares. Dependence upon imported foodstuffs has stimulated theproduction of cereals with rye taking the lead. Other importantproducts are potatoes, turnips, and sugar beets,

According to the Austrian agricultural census of 1930 the totalpopula t ion occupied in agriculture and forestry in 1930 numbered1,718,077, of whom nearly one-hal f , namely 837,703 were women orgirls. The great preponderance of the agricultural population wereworking farmers or members of farmers' families. Heads of agriculturalenterprises and members of their families assisting them made up73.4 per cent of the total agricultural population. Paid workersconstituted only just over one quarter, namely 456,845 persons(187,308 women). Of the whole group of paid workers 24.8,988 persons(118,649 women) or 54.5 per cent were farm servants and 122,165persons (44,372 women) or 26.8 per cent were day workers. Therewere 41,484 seasonal workers,Minf~ing

The most important mining product is lignite of which 2,970,700metric tons were mined in 1935. -More than half of the lignite depositsare in Styria, and about twenty per cent in Upper Austria. Anthraciteis second in importance, yielding 260,600 metric tons in 1935. Thearea with anthracite deposits is limited to Lower Austria. Iron andmanganese ores are mined in Styria, where over one million tons wereproduced in 1936. Carinthia has deposits of lead and zinc ores of which103,500 tons were mined in 1935. Tyrol has several copper mines whichin 1935 produced 1,337 tons. Crude graphite is mined in Lower Austria,its production in 1935 amounting to 19,490 tons. Salt is being pro-duced in Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, and Tyrol; its 1935 productionamounted to 96,416 tons,


24/99

14 w\

Fisheries

The fisheries of the Danube and of isome lakes, foremost amoanthese the Ileusiedler iake in Burgenland, are of certain commercialimportance.

Manufactures

Most important are the metallurgical and engineering industrieswhich are concentrated in four districts- the North Alpine Forelandcentering on Steyr ; the Mur-Mur5 valley; the Viea-Wiener Neustadtregion; and th e Kiagenfurt basin. The district centering on Steyrproduces cutlery, firearms, needles, screws, cycles, and automobilsIn the Mur-Murz valley heavy products such as locomotives androll ing stock are manufactured, while machinery for industrial andagricultural purposes is produced in the Vienna-Wiener Neustadt region.The textile industry of the country is highly important, employingin 1930 over 77,000 workers; it forms the basis of a number offinishing trades and has developed in three centers-, in theWiener Neustadt valley; in the northern valley of the Linz district;and in Vorarlberg and northern Tyrol. Other industries ofimportance are those manufacturing apparel, food, drinks,chemicals, and leather.


25/99

Table 4.-Number of Persons with Gainful Occupations by States andby Sex, Austria, 1934 /

States Male Female Total

Vienna / 584,543 371,391 955,934Lower Austria 476,824 203,026 679,850Upper Austria 277,450 134,200 411,650Salzburg 74,182 37,460 111,642Styria- 315,299 154,917 470,216Carinthia 119,540 57,882 177,422Tyrol 106,395 55,057 161,452Vorarlberg 48,940 22,882 71,822Burgenland 94,131 32,380 126,511

Total 2,100,639 1,069,633 3,170,272

/ Source:/ The mediatized City of Vienna.

Statistisches Jahrbuch fur den Bundesstaat Osterreich, Vol. XVII, Vienna, 1937.

"

::


26/99

Table 5.---Number of Enterprises in Agriculture and Forestry and PersonsEmployed, by States,-Austria, 1930 1~

Enterprises in ariulture and forestryStates Number Persons employed

Vienna' 1,172. 4,204Lower Austria 145,744 535,593Upper Austria 80,215 318,550Salzburg 13,999 64,081Styria 77,393 363,174Carinthia 30,663 138,848Tyrol 26,472 105,843Vorarlberg 14,225 43,34Burgenland 43,477 144,443Total 433,36&- 1,718,077

~/Source: Statistisches Jahrbuch frh den Bundesstaat Osterreich, Vol. VI Vina 197VII, Vienna, 1937.


27/99

Table 6.-Number of Wag. Earners and Salaried Employees Enigagedin iing, by Industry Group and by States,.Austria, 1933 ~

Anthra- Iron and Lead Crude Minera.l NaturalStates cite Lignite manganese and, Copper graphi- dyes. Shale Oil gas Salt Totalzinc its.

Lower Austria 1,330 788 58.1 2,187Upper Austria 1,888 4 236 2,128Salzbuirg 8 125 133,Styria 5,788 612 77 3 135 6,615Carinthia 737 496 26 1,261Tyrol 232 91 47 110 480Burgenland 520 520Total 1,330 9,953 620 496 91 135 29 47 12. 4 -606 13,324

~/Source: Statistisches Jahrbuoh fear den 3undesstaat Osterreich, Vol. XV , Vie na, 1935.

,I


28/99

Table 7.--Number and Percentage of Factories in Each of the States of Austria, 1935 ~

States Number Percentage

Vienna 1,966 31.6Power Austria 1,447 23.2Upper Austria 655, 10.5Salzburg 160 2.6Styria 1,012. 16.3Carinthia 262 4.2Tyrol 274 4.4Vorarlberg 305 4.9Burgenland 144 2.3Total 6,225 100.0

~/Source: Statistieches Jahrbuch furi den Bundesstaat'Osterreich, Vol. XVII, Vienna, 1937.

I24-674OSABCD


29/99

-19 -

Tables 4 - 7 show the regional distribution of all gainfullyoccupied persons (4), of enterprises and persons engaged inagriculture and forestry (5), of wage earners and salariedemployees engaged in mining (6), and of the number and percentageof factories (7).

:~Ilk


30/99

-20-

Unemployment

Just after World War I, when Austria was faced by overwhelmingunemployment, a temporary system of relief was hastily devised.The first Unemployment Insurance Act of March 1920 was amendedmany times until finally replaced by the Unemployment Relief Sectionof the new Social Insurance Act of March 1935.

As unemployment continued, the government partially transferredthe financial burden to industry by converting relief measures intoinsurance.

The placement service, an essential tool in Austria's unemploy-ment insurance system, was improved through securing the cooperationof employers' and workers' organizations. But as long as industry wasdisorganized, it was impossible to place permanently gny largenumber of unemployed. Therefore, jobs were distributed among thelargest possible number of persons. In addition, public worksprograms were carried out. In spite of these efforts to provide work,the number of unemployed increased.

According la official Austrian statistics, the number of registeredunemployed reached its peak in 1933, when 405,740 persons or 12.8per cent of the total working population were on the unemploymentrolls of the country. The industries most greatly affected were themetals and engineering industry with 76,453 or 18.8 per cent andthe building industry with 76,197 or 18.7 per cent of the total numberof unemployed.

While beginning with 1934 the number of unemployed decreaseddecidedly during the following years, there still remained 281,401persons unemployed in June 1937, a few months before annexation byGermany.

Regionally, the City of Vienna had the largest number of theNation's unemployed, amounting to 49.1 per cent in 1937. LowerAustria ranked second with 18.2 per cent. Table 8 shows the completeindustrial distribution of the registered unemployed in Austria.

... . "- --. . . '

I4: :1'!:0e


31/99

Table 8. Registered Unemployment in Austria, by Industry,1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937 ,

1929 1931 1933 1935 1937 (June)

Agriculture, forestry, andfishing 3,125 6,531 7,504 5,935 4,030

Mining (including extractionof salt) 1,347 4,429 4,267 3,409 2,62

Metals, metal working,mechanical, and electricalengineering 26,273 56,468 76,453 56,968 41,723

Brick, pottery, and glass 6,986 11,707 14,729 10,549 5,531Building 42,853 63,098 76,197 61,332 38,607Wood (including furniture) 8,603 17,195 26,260 20,112 14,915Paper and printing 3,754 8,532 12,671 12,340 10,159Textiles 8,929 15,704 19,550 15,173 13,473Clothing 13,404 17,924 24,749 20,829 18,991Skin, leather 1,809 2,996 3,733 3,151 2,774Chemicals 2,220 3,302 3,949 3,757 3,041Food, drink, and tobacco 7,158 10,059 14,703 13,982 13,114Transport 4,585 7,724 11,697 10,861 8,183Commerce, banking, and insurance 6,438 7,145 12,384 13,239 11,789Hotels, domestic service,laundries, etc. 13,628 16,691 2439 24,641 19,275Total 192,062 300,223 405,740 348,675 281,401

~b/ International Labor Office, Yearbook of Labor Statistics, Geneva, 1938.


32/99

In the following table the percentage of they total number ofunemployed persons for each of the nine states is given for 1935,1936,. and 1937.

Table 9.-Percentage of All Unemployed Persons in Austriaby States, 1935, 1936, and 1937 1/

States Per'cent of all unemployed persons1935 1936 1937

Vienna 46.0 44.5 49.1Lower Austria 19.3 19.7 18.2Upper Austria 9.6 9.2 8.8Salzburg 2.6. 2.8 2.7Styria 12.2 12.1 10.5Carinthia 3.4 3,9 3.7Tyrol 3.8 3.9 3.4Vorarlberg 1.6 1.8 1.4Burgenland .1.5 2.1 2.2

100.0 100.0 100.0

~/Source: Xammuer fur Arbeiter and Axgesteflte in Wien, Wirtechafts-statistisohes Jahrbuch 1937, Vol. 12, Vienna, 1937.

22 -


33/99

- 23 -

Table 10 shows the general ievel of unemployment from 1929 to1939, indicating in 1933, the year with the highest unemploymentfigures, an increase in unemployment to more than twice the numbergiven for 1929.

Table 10. General Level of Unemployment in Austria, 1929-1939 3/

Year Registered unemployed

1929 192,0621930 242,6121931 300,2231932 377,8941933 405,7401934 370,2101935 348,6751936 349,6631937 320,9611938 244,7881939 July 29,692

1/ Source: International Labor Office, Yearbook of Labor Statistics,1941, Montreal, 1942.


34/99

3

39m o tl2-l228

The following table gives the general level of employment inAustria from 1929 to 193S. The figures are index numbers,representing the number of wage earners and salaried employees in

Table U.1.-General Level of ployment in Austria, 1929-1938

Year Index number

19291930193119321933193419351936'19371938 January

100.095.186.676.470.669.866.864.667.462.1

/ Source: International Labor Office,Statistics, Geneva, 1938, p. 30.

Yearbook of Labor

The index numbers, reflecting of course the increase inunemployment discussed above, indicate a constant decline of employ-ment in Austria, dropping in Jamary 1938 37.9 per cent below theemployment of 1929. However, these index numbers represent onlyemployment changes in those. industries specified above.

- -- --QII~-~N I-

-- 1 I~W--DC -- -- .- ------ --- 1--111--11__~_-- -- _ _II I --- C-


35/99

- 25 w.

orororkers

The continus increase in th e number of unemployed in Austriaafter World War I brought about a desire to restrict th e immigrationof foreign workers 9 Local measures adopted shortly after the war in thefrontier provinces of Salzburg and Vorarlberg to curb th e influxof workers from Germany had been ineffective. The immigrationmovement from other European countries continued, the number ofimmigrants in 1924 amounting to 9,697. The countries from whichthese immigrants came were as follows:

Table 12.-I tion into Austria byCc itry of Origin and by Sex, 1924 1/

Country of origin lien Women Total

Germeay 2,757 1,191 3,948Czechoslovakia 1,704 1,401 3,105Hungary 465 382 847Yugoslavia 118 150 268Poland 73 53 126Italy 940 86 1,026Switzerland 91 32 123Ru , E a. ia, GLb,reece.,

and Turkey 92 33 125Russia 5 2 7Other countries 75 47 122

Total 6,320 3,377 9,697

/ Sources International Labor Office, Industrial and LaborInformation, (Geneva), March 23, 1925, Vol. XIII, No. 12.

The oocupastios of the immigrants were varied, domestic service,agriculture, industry, commerce, and the professions all beingwell represented.


36/99

'2-

In December 1925 the Federa Protection of Workers Act waspassed. It prohibited, as long as.Austria was suffering fromexceptional unemployment, the hiring of foreign workers without.special authorization, unles8 such wqrkers had been residents inAustria since January 1, 1923. the act provided certain exceptionsfor various classes of artists and fb r workers engaged ininternational transport undertakings.

Of the 41,hS4 seasonal workers occupied in agriculture in1930, 19,389 were aliens. While permits for seasonal agriculturalworkers had generally been grnted by th e government, in July 1932it was decreed that seasonal agricultural workers from Czechoslovakiawere only to be admitted after all migrant Burgenland and otherquplified agricultural workers had found employment. The numberof Czechoslovak workers going to Austria reached its maximum in1930, when it was 16,200. The total number of alien workers inagriculture declined steadily to 4,155 in 1937.

The government made maiy efforts to substitute unemployedAustriani workers fo r alien labor in agricalture, in part by meansof vocational training of unemployed industrial workers. However,no appreciable gains resulted from these measures.

Annual arrangements were concluded between Austrian andCzechoslovak authorities for the recruiting of Czechoslovak seasonalworkers for agricultural. work in Austria, fixing both th e quotaof workers and th e method of payment of wages in Czechoslovakkoriwy,

The following table shows the ber of work permitsissued or extended to foreign persons in Austria during 1937,indicating th e her engaged in the various occupations a

.4


37/99

27 o

Table 13. Number of Work PermitsForeign Workers in Austria, W

1937 '/Issued or Exctended toOccupation and by Sex,

Occupation Men Women Total

Agriculture and forestry 2,648 1,507. 4,155Industry and trade 1,923 426 2,349Commerce and transportation 391 217 608Free professions 1,150 881 .2,031Domestic service 61 982 1,043Laborers 103 34 137Apprentices 475 130 605Unspecified 341 93 434Total 7,092 4,270 1,362

~ Source: Statistisches Jahrbxch fur Osterreich, Vienna, 1938.


38/99

- 28 -

Internal Migration

Reliable information on the movement of workers within Austriais not available. In times of normal business activity therewas always a movement of population from rural districts to urbancenters, particularly to Vienna. During the years of rapidindustrial growth--from the latter part of the nineteenth centuryto World War I--this trend of migration made of Vienna a meltingpot of people from the various parts of the old Empire, almostcomparable to some of the urban centers in the United States. Afterthe Austro-Hungarian Empire had been broken up in 1918, andVienna with a population of 1.8 million had been reduced in itsrole to that of being the capital of a country with only 6.5million people, the trend in migration became reversed and manyfamilies returned to the regions of their origin, some of whichhad now become independent nations. Of further significance wasthe seasonal migration of agricultural workers from Burgenlandto other agricultural regions of Austria. The competition tothis group of workers created by the recruiting of seasonal agriculturalworkers from Czechoslovakia was finally curbed by a decree of July 1932.

The inability of the smallest type of peasant property inhilly districts to maintain itself adequately, occasionally causedthe population to migrate from those districts.

While the frustration and unemployment of the post-waryears created a great desire to seek opportunities for work inoverseas countries, many hopes to leave the country remainedunfulfilled. Immigration quotas and other restrictions set upby some of the countries had their effects. Table 14indicates that the emigration from Austria remained comparativelylow throughout the period shown.

O0@


39/99

24-074o8ABcD

Table 14.-Emigration from Austria,. by Occupations, 1932, 1934,1936, and 1919-1936 j

Occupations 1932 1934 1936 1919-1936

Agriculture and forestry 119 275 149 ~ 17,140Metal finishing industry 224 40 36 3,644achine and instrument industry 136 86 82 3,279ooden and carved goods industry 53 15 8 1,489pparel industry 32 97 77 2,665ood and drinks industry 33 38 26 1,626t$:otels nd restaurants 32 34 27 1,213-Building 90 66 85 3,151Commercial 102 196 138 3,423s

Domestic 19 9 112 122 6,648Laborers 27 25 16 4,198Miscellaneous 561 546 512 11,009Family members of~emigrants 521 642 405 19,121Total 2,129 2,172 1,683 78,611

~/Source: Kammer fur Arbeiter and Angesteilte in Wien, Wirtschaftsstatistisches Jahrbuch, Vienna,1937.


40/99

- 30 -

Child Labor

.The first prQvision to regulate the employment of children wasmade in the original Industrial Code for the Austrian Empire, pro-hibiting itinerant trading and delivery work for children underthe age of fourteen years. The School Attendance Acts of 1869 and1883 which made attendance of school obligatory up to fourteenyears, partially took the place of a child labor law until thepassing of the first Child Labor Act in December 1918. This Actprohibited for children under fourteen years of age work of anykind in industry for which remuneration was paid, exceptingemployment for instruction and of own children. Children underfourteen years might be employed in agriculture but their employ-ment must not be injurious to health, physical developmentor morals or prevent school attendance. The work for childrenbetween ten and twelve years was required to be light.

The Mining Adt of 1919 with its Amendment of 1928 prohibitedfor children under fourteen years employment in connection withmining, stone quarries and pits, and for boys under eighteenmining work detrimental to physical development. Additional acts,amendments, and administrative orders, including those of 1920,1923, and 1928, extended the minimum age requirement of fourteenyears to all occupations except those in agriculture.

An order of 1923 raised the age minimum to eighteen yearsfor occupations involving exposure to risks, such as anthraxinfection, zinc and lead smelting lead compounds, printingwork, lead painting, varnishing, and decorating.

A new Federal Act concerning the employment of children andyoung persons came into operation in September 1935. This newlaw preserved the former minimum age of fourteen years. In addition,new measures for supervision were provided, requiring the employerof children to notify the communal authority about the nature andplace of employment of the children. The employer must also applyin advance for a special work card for each child.

According to the Austrian Census of 1930, 2,789 of thepersons permanently employed in agriculture were children underfourteen years of age. The number of young persons under eighteenyears employed in industry and trade was 102,828; 30,607 of thesewere girls.

S.o___


41/99

- 31 -

Women Workers

Various regulations concerning the employment of women werein force in Austria prior to German annexation in 1936. Noinformation is available regarding later developments.

The Industrial Code, extended by the Act of December 1917and by subsequent acts and amendments, prohibits the employmentof women in industry, trade, and various services during a 4 to6 week period before and after childbirth.

The Act of 1919, supplemented by later acts, prohibits theemployment of women at night (8 p.m. to 5.a.m.; in shift work10 p.m. to 5 a.m.), whether engaged in manual or intellectual work.

Federal laws prohibit the employment of women in heavy,unhealthy, or dangerous work; the most recent of these is that of1937, prohibiting the employment of women on underground work inmines.

None of the regulations concerning the employment of womenmentioned above apply to agriculture. The relative importanceof women's labor in agriculture is much greater than in industryand handicrafts. In all small farms the wife and daughter of thefarmer are not only employed in the household but often sharein the actual work of the farm. This is also true of women farmservants who live in the employer's household. Furthermore,on large farms married women are often employed, particularly forcertain kinds of field work, such as cultivation of roots, and forthe harvest. While no federal legislation existed on the employ-ment of women in agriculture, the agricultural labor codes of theeight Austrian states contained provisions for the protection ofwomen. Women workers in agriculture must be allowed reasonabletime to fulfill their household duties. They may not be requiredto work at night or on Sundays and holidays. They must alsobe allowed two free days before Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun.An exception to these provisions is allowed in Lower Austria andBurgenland for the care of animals and milking. In Lower Austria,Salzburg and the Tyrol these provisions apply only to marriedworkers, whereas in Carinthia, Styria, and Burgenland they coverall women workers who have the care of a household.

The agricultural labor codes of Lower Austria, Carinthia,Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, and Burgenland provide that obviouslydangerous work may not be assigned to pregnant women, nor mustpregnancy be a reason for dismissal.There were 3,511,968 women in Austria in 1934. Of this

number 1,069,633 or 30.5 per cent were gainfully occupied. Thenumber of women workers amounted to 33.7 per cent of the totalnumber of gainfully occupied persons. For the distribution of womenworkers by occupational gro e con on Employment and Unemployment.


42/99

- 32 -

2. EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES

Austria possessed a highly organized network of public orjoint employment exchanges, with a system of clearing centers.The development of this organization was largely the resultof the introduction of unemployment insurance, fo r the publicor joint employment exchanges also assumed the duties of unemploy-ment offices, according to the Unemployment Insurance Act ofMarch 1920.

When unemployment insurance was instituted in 1920, a certainnumber of public employment exchanges were already set up by thecommunes. However, these exchanges were not sufficient to forma complete network of exchanges. Therefore, the private employmentagencies established by employers, by workers, or by joint actionbetween the two were formed into j6int agencies under the super-vision of the district industrial commissions. As a result of theprovision in the Unemployment Insurance Act for financial assistanceto private agencies, a great number of private agencies wereincorporated in the public employment system. These joint privateagencies, transformed into public exchanges, were responsible inAustria for the placing of skilled workers. The communalexchanges dealt almost entirely with unskilled labor, although thespecial needs of the area served by any exchange may have given ita more or less marked occupational character.

In Vienna, the three municipal exchanges dealt 'solely withunskilled labor. For skilled workers there were some fifteenjoint exchanges for special groups: salaried employees; thebuilding trades; textile, clothing, and hat making (with a specialexchange for members of Christian/trade unions in these trades);the chemical industry; the food and drink trades (with a specialexchange for members of Christian trade unions); hairdressers;printing and paper making; the wood and allied industries; hoteland catering staff; butchers; metal workers; boot makers andleather workers.

Outside Vienna four occupational sections existed for theplacing of cafe and restaurant staff. These had been set up inUrfuhr, Gras, Innsbruck, and Klagenfurt.

In Vienna, training workshops were associated with certainemployment exchanges. While retraining for an entirely newoccupation had only limited possibilities, workers were trainedto specialize in those lines of their work that were least over-crowded.


43/99

33 -

The Social Insurance Act of March 1935 made new provisionsfor the organization and the jurisdictions of employment agencies.According to Chapter V of this Act the employment exchanges wereto be administered by the Federal Ministry of Social Administration,establishing all employment offices as Federal authorities. Employ-ment exchange committees were set up in connection with thelocal employment offices, consisting of representatives ofemployers and employees in equal numbers. The managers of th e 1provincial employment offices appointed by the Federal Ministerof Social Administration, were assisted by managing committees,composed of four representatives of employers and four of employeesas members. Among other duties the managing committees were torender decisions relating to appeals against awards by local officesin matters connected with unemployment benefits and emergency relief.

The following table indicates the activities of theemployment exchanges in Austria during 1935:

public

Table 1. Exchange of Labor Through Publicin Austria by Type of flmuployees,

E~aployment1935 !1

Apprentices Salaried Wage Totalemployees earners

Applications 6,660 89,431 1,028,235 1,124,326Vacancies 2,515 7,261 227,011 236,787Placements 2,230 6,581 219,271 228,082

2: Source: Statistisches liandbuch fur den BundesstaatVol. XVII, Vienna, 1937.sterreich,

Since the annexation of Austria, the employment exchangeswere gradually reorganized along lines of the German labor officesand incorporated into the German iabor exchange system, administeredby th e German Ministry of Labor.

Exchanges


44/99

. WAGES HOURS. AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Prior to Austria's annexation by Germany there was nocentral organization which compiled statistics of actual wages forthe whole territory of Austria. The seven Chambers of Labor atVienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Klagenfurt, Innsbruck, and Feldkirchcollected considerable data concerning wages, but they dealtchiefly with minimum wages. The ost comprehensive statisticswere published by the Vienna Chamber of Labor.

Methods of Wage Fixing

Various methods were adopted in Austria after World War Ito maintain the purchasing power of wages at a constant level inspite of the decline in the value of the currency.

From the end of 1919 to the end of 1921 wages were as arule adjusted by negotiation from time to time so as to secure- orthe worker a minimum subsistence wage, either by dividing the wageinto two parts, one fixed and the other varying with prices,or by adding to the wage a bonus based more or less on the absoluterise in the cost of living.

From 1921 to 1923, prices were rising more and more rapidly,and the tendency was to make the whole wage vary automaticallyat the same rate as the cost of living index number.

After 1923 a reaction against the automatic use of an indexbrought a return to the custom of adjusting wages by freenegotiation so as to take into account both the level of pricesand the economic situation as a whole.

The Act of December 1919 concerning conciliation boards andcollective agreements was supplemented by an Act of April 1930.While it was doubtful under the old Act whether a collective agree-ment concluded between a trade union and an employer applied alsoto unorganized engaged in the enterprise, the new Act did so Apply.

Orders of March and June 1933 discontinued all collectiveagreements in force in banks and fo r public building work.

An Act of November 1936 established a system of compulsoryarbitration of industrial disputes by "corporative" committees,which were to determine wage rates and other conditions of employmentin industry, mining, handicrafts, and commerce for cases where noagreement was reached between the parties. This system did notapply to credit and banking institutions, communications, theliberal professions, or agriculture.


45/99

- 35

Age differences were frequently recognized in Austria.Young workers could receive automatic wage increases up to about22 years of age. In many cases gradations of pay were in relationto the number of years in service subsequent to the completion ofapprenticeship.

Women -workers were usually paid less than male workers ofthe same occupational group.

Workers employed in agriculture and forestry usually enjoyedfree housing. The larger factories and mines in the ruraldistricts had their own workers' houses. Most of the workers'houses, erected after World War I, had small gardens which wereused by the tenants for th e cultivation of vegetables and fruits.While th e financial benefit derived from the use of these gardenswas comparat ively smal l , they, nevertheless represented a certainsubsistence.

General Level of Wages! e Ausiian Money in United States Currency

The magnitude of th e f inancial crisis during the early yearsof the period fol lowing World War I is reflected in th e exchangerates of those years. While th e par value of one krone-- thecurrency of the Austrian Republic up to 1925--was equivalent to0.2026 United States dollars, the exchange rates for th e kronedropped in 1922 to 0.000098 and in 1924 to 0.00001 in United Statescurrency. Th e latter figure represents only a miniu exchangequotat ion. Actual ly , th e gigantic inflationary trend of thisperiod had caused prices to rise to suchaat4tonomical figures thatthe exchange rate was really very much below that given above.

With th e financial stabilization of 1925 the schilling(containing 100 Grosche) became the new currency, with its par valuefixed at 14.07 cents in United States currency.

From 1925 to 1932 the exchange rate for on e schillingoscillated around 14, ents in United States currency. The ratefor 1933 was 15.45 cents and from 1934 to 1938 it fluctuatedbetween 18.77 and 18.92 cents. The rise during the latter periodwas primarily due to the reduction of the weight of the gold dollarto 59.06 per cent of its former weight.


46/99

- 36 -

Following the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938,the exchange rate for the Austrian schilling was fixed at 1.5per one German Reichsmark. The latter unit became th eofficial currency in what formerly was Austria.

When comparing the average income of the Austrian wage earnerswith that of the same categories in the larger industrial countries,it becomes evident that the Austrian wage level was rather low.Expressed in United States currency, the hourly earnings of askilled worker in the metal industry in Vienna, for example,averaged 21 cents in December 1933, as compared with 58 cents fora worker with a comparable degree of skill in the same type ofindustry in the United States. For the same type of industryin Germany the earnings of a skilled worker averaged 31.2 centsin 1933. However, the level of Austrian wages was to some extentcompensated for by controlled rents which reduced the wage earnersrent expenditures to between one and three per cent of his income,as compared with 15-25 per cent in other countries. Also, asstated in another section, the Austria social insurance systemprovided many benefits which elsewhere have to be secured by saving.

Trend of Wages. 1929-1936

As Austrian statistics on actual wage rates are not availablefor most industries, only the trend in minimum wage rates can beshown. From the end of 1931 an almost uniform downward tendencyin minimum wage rates can be observed.

The table below shows the level of wages in the mining industry.The earnings given are those of both skilled and unskilled workers.While the earnings in money during the whole period were greatestin 1930 with 9.80 schillings per shift, the real earnings werehighest in 1931, when their index reached 106, although moneyearnings had dropped to 9.61 schillings. By taking into accountthe decline in the cost of living index from 100 to 96, thepurchasing power of the reduced money earnings was still higherthan that of the nominally higher income for 1930. Furthermore,money earnings reached their lowest level of 8.59 schillings in1936, although the lowest level in real earnings was reached in1935, when the nominal earnings were 8.61 schillings.


47/99

- 37 -s

Table 1,-Trend of Earnings and Index Numbersin the Mining Indust ry, Austria,

1929-1936 ~

Money earnings Indexes of Indexes of Indexes ofYear per shift in money earnings real earnings cost of living

schillings 1929 = 100 1929,= 100 1929 =-100

1929 9.46 100 100 1001930 9.80 104 104 1001931 9.61 102 106 961932 9.52 101 104 971933 9.18 97 102 951934 8.90 94 99 951935 8.61 91 95 951936 8.59 91 97 94

/ International Labor Office, Yearbook of Labor Statistics, 1938.

-;-- -~Pll~e~E~e~


48/99

Deductions from Wages

Due to the fact that social welfare had been developed to agreat extent in Austria, deductions from wages and sa ies were verynumerous, In addition to contributions toward social welfareinstitutions, other deductions were prescribed by law. Theemployer likewise had to pay numerous contributions which hewas not permitted to deduct from the wage or salary.

The figures in the following table, showing the averagesocial and fiscal burdens per worker, indicate the relativeimportance of social welfare and other contributions with regard towages and salaries.

Table 2.--Average Social and Fiscal Brdens per Workerin Austria (in schillings)

Gross wage Contributions deducted Net wage paid Contributionsper week from wage to worker borne by em lper25.00 3.87 22.13 4.3430.00 4.24 25.76 4.7635.00 4.58 30.42 5.1840.00 4.87 35.13 5.5145.00 5.08 39.92 5.8450.00 5.33 44.67 6.1355.00 5.52 49.48 6.3260.00 5.72 54.28 6.5165.00 5.88 59.12 6.7470.00 6.16 63.84 7.0175.00 6.41 68.59 7.2480.00 6.65 73.35 7.5385.00 6.87 78.13 7.7990.00 7.16 82.84 8.1595.00 7.56 87.44 8,60

.Y. :1;"Z:i l


49/99

39 -

As may be seen from this table, deductions from wages andsalaries in Austria were relatively high. The great number ofdeductions included contributions to sickness insurance, unemploy-ment insurance, emergency relief, old age pension, employment,agencies, chambers of labor; factory council assessment, communityassessment, state tax, income tax, and depression tax. Thesocial insurance deductions for salaried employees included sickness-accident--unemployment--disability and old age insurance.

It must be understood, that in no single instance weredeductions made under all the above mentioned headings. Someof the contributions applied only to unskilled laborers and othersonly to salaried employees. The table shows that contributions wererelatively higher in the lower wage and salary classes and tendedto decline gradually, reaching their minimum in the highest class.This fact may explain to some extent the dissatisfaction withthe system of deductions, since contributions deducted from thewages naturally react adversely on the purchasing power of the greatmasses while the contributions borne by the employer have anadverse effect on the price level.

The figures in the foregoing table do not include in thedeductions from wages voluntary contributions, such as payments totrade unions, labor associations, and other organizations.

Wages in Selected Industries and Occupations inthe Vienna District. 1936

The most recent complete wage statistics available are those ofDecember 31, 1936. According to these figures the highest wagerates prevailed in the brewing industry, with 78.56 schillings asthe maximum weekly wage for skilled workers. Other industries pay-ing comparatively high wages to skilled workers were bread bakeries,oil refineries, and glass and clothing factories. Next to breweriesand oil refineries the leather industry paid the highest wages tounskilled workers. Of all industries the lowest initial wages formale workers were those (20.16 schillings) paid to unskilled workersin china manufacturing, while the lowest wage rates for womenworkers prevailed in the rubber industry, with 19.20 schillings asthe initial weekly wage.

The following table gives the weekly wage rates which prevailedfor skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled, and women workers in a varietyof industries. All weekly wages given in this table were based onthe 48-hour week. When considering the actual income of workers,the fact must be taken into consideration that during the yearsof economic depression many workers were not receiving full employ-ment.


50/99

Table 3.--Weekly Wage Rates in Selected Industries in theVienna District,9 by Skill!, at the End of December 1 36 ~

Industry Skilled Semi-skilled Unskilled Womenworkers workers workers workers

Ijn SchillingsCement 48.00-49.92 42.24-46.56 40.32-44.16 24.96-25.92Brick 44.16-48.00 31.68 26.88 17.76China 38.40-46.08 35.52-42.24 20.16-36.48 24.00-25.92Glass 64.20 34.29 -Iron construction 34.08-57.12 31.20-51.36 26.40-45.60 20.64-28.80Iron foundries 31.68-57.60 21.20-52.80 24.00-48.00 .24.00-28.80Furniture 23.04-65.28 41.76 39.84 36.48Leather 59.04 51.84-55.20 5).84 .33.60-36.48Clothing 58.08-62.88 51.84 -- 36.48Paper 47.52-49.44 42.24-44.16 36.96-41.28 23.52-24.48Chemical 50.88-52.32 45.12-49.44 43,68-46.56 29,28-30.24Oil refineries 64.32-65.76 54.72-60.48 53.76-55.20 33.12-34.08Rubber- 44,16-47.04 28.80-42.24 28.80-37.92 19.20-25.44Bread bakeries 66.93-76,59 - - 32.07-37.25Breweries 66.40-78.56 66.40 54.48-60.U1 33.80Canning 56.16 50.40 46.56 27.84-31.20

~/Statistisehe Nachrichten (Vienna), January 1937.


51/99

- 41 -

Table 4 shows the weekly wage rates which prevailed in certainoccupations in 1936. An analysis of these wages indicates agreat variation between the different occupations. Of theoccupations listed in this table, the highest initial wages(92.00 schillings) were paid to machine compositors. Theirmaximum wage rate of 102.60 schillings also represented thehighest maximum wage. On the other hand, in some skilled tradesthe initial wage amounted to less than one fourth (22.00 forshoemakers) and less than one-third (28.80 for locksmiths andplumbers) of the starting wage for machine compositors. Thelowest top wage rate was that for shoemakers, amounting to 51.00schillings or about one-half of the highest top wage.

Table 4.--Weekly Wage Rates in Selected Occupations inthe Vienna District at the End of December 1936 /

Occupations Weekly wage rates in schillings

Masons 62.40 - 65.76Carpenters 67.20 - 69.12Painters 42.24 - 68.16Payers 79.20 - 96.00Plumbers 31.20 - 62.40Locksmiths 28.80 - 57.60Engravers 28.80 - 57.60Opticians 32.00 - 65.00Cabinetmakers 23.04 - 65.28Tailors 48.48 - 65.76Shoemakers 22.00 - 51.00Furriers 30.00 - 60.00Bookbinders 29.50 - 63.50Printers 44.80 - 70.50Machine compositors 92.00 -102.60Bakers 40.00 - 74.10Butchers 38.00 - 87.00

/ Statistisohe Naohrichten (Vienna), January 1937.


52/99

. 42 -

Wages and Labor Conditions in Individual Industries

Wages, working hours, and other labor conditions which prevailedin various industries and occupations in Austria are treated below.Since there was a considerable difference between the wages paidin Vienna and those paid in other sections of Austria, wages aregiven separately for the Vienna district and the States of UpperAustria, Salzburg, Styria, and Carinthia.

In the official Austrian statistics only weekly wage rateswere reported. The most recent figures available were those forthe Vienna district as of December 1936. Though this territory,including Vienna and a number of towns and villages in its vicinity,is the most important industrial district, it does not include anumber of industries such as lignite, iron ore and magnesite mining.These latter industries prevail in Styria and Carinthia,

Hourly wage rates were reported periodically by the Associationof Austrian Industry. However, no later figures than thosecontained in the report for December 31, 1933 are available.

Selections from the latter figures by region and skill aregiven in the following table. These wage rates were based uponcollective agreements, and the rate of paywithin a given wagerange was determined by one or several factors such as age,type of enterprise, and special qualification.


53/99

- 43 -

Table 5.--Hourly Wage Rates in Selected Industries in Austriaby Region and Skill, at the End of' December 1933

Region and industry Skilled Skilled Unskilled Femaleworkers helpers helpers helpers

In SchillingsVienna .and Lower AustriaBuilding industryCement industryBrick industryCeramics industryWood industryChemical industryExplosives and powder

industryLeather industryIce factoriesCanning industryMetal industry (Vienna)

" (Neunkirchen)" (St. P&lten)

1.41-1.91 -1.32-1.35

Upper AustriaBreweriesChemical industryBuilding industry

Hf UIt ii

Paper industryLeather industry

(Linz)(Steyr)(Wels)

Iron ore. miningBreweriesLeather industryMetal working plantsPaper industryTextile industryChemical industry

0.99-1.031.020.73-1.071.201.06-1.091.12

1.15-1.231.411.261.27-1.461.221.10

0.92-0.980.70

0.54-0.640.980.94-1.030.99-1.071.15-1.231.32

1.111.11-1.301.120.97

1.25-1.360.94-1.03

1.000.930.82-0.850.82-0.920.90

0.951.23-1.360.920 85-1.150.86-0.910.70-1.150.85-1.05

0.66-1.120.84-0.880.600.47--0.58

0.940.91-0.940.961.08-1.111.221.020.97-1.060.930.80

1.11-0.91-0.94+0.74-0.930.69-0.870.66-0.75

0.810.87

0.851 11

0.60-0.950.650.60-0.800.75-0.90

1.48-1.551.06-1.091.18-1.361.10-1.250.99-1.13

1.031.00

0.76-0.880.51-0.54

0.470.42-0.570.70-0.770.61-0.660.64-0.680.70-0.76

0.*620 61-0.76

0.600.54

0.680.61-.0.630.620.580.540.51-0.560 .50-0. 58

0.600.680.65

0.53-0.580.48-0.620.58-0.69

1 (00-1.051. 6-1. 551.000.90-1.400.97-1.080.90-1.08


54/99

- 44-

Table 5. (cont'd)

Region and industry Skilled Skilled Unskilled Femaleworkers helpers helpers helpers

In SchillingsStyriaBreweries 1.51 1.27-1.34 0.96-1.19 0.68Paper industry 0.92-1.03 0.82-0.86 0.65-0.81 0.49-0.56Glass industry 1.08 0.84 .0.64 0.50Leather industry 1.02-1.12 0.96-1.06 0.78-0.87 0.56-0.63.Coal mining (average) 1.25 0.75 0.60 0.4CarinthiaMetal industry 0.88-1.30 0.80-0.86 0.74-0.80 0.40-0.58Leather industry 0.741.20 0.74-0.95 0.65-0.87 0.45-0.80Breweries 1.29 1.06 1.00 0.63Ceramics industry 1.35-1.50 0.90-1.10 0.75-0.90-Cement industry 0.84-1.18 0.77-0.92 0.60-0.75 0.42-0.53Chemical industry 0.91-1.02 0.87-0.91 0.79-0.83 0.56-0.60Magnesite industry 0.81-0.87 0.70-0.76 0.59-0.63 0.50-0.56

t7' Y =

ONWW' t 4


55/99

- 45 -

According to statistics compiled by sickness insurance institutions,the average weekly wage between 1932 and 1936 was estimated at about40 schillings. On the other hand, the average calculated by theVienna Chamber of Labor considerably exceeded this figure, amountingto 48 schillings. This average took into consideration the differencebetween wages paid in Vienna and those paid in other districts ofAustria.

Below are summarized the available data on wages, hours, andother related topics for individual industries of Austria as a wholeprior to the annexation by Germany.

Agriculture

The agricultural labor codes of the Austrian States providedthat the worker's wages had to be fixed in the contract. If nowages were agreed, the locally prevailing wages were deemed underthe Civil Code to have been agreed. A new provision introducedby the Austrian agricultural labor codes recognized the right of theworkers to a bonus after a specified number of years of employmentwith the same employer.

Since the work done by an agricultural worker is considerablygreater in summer than in winter, the Austrian agricultural laborcodes provided that a certain proportion of the annual wage was tobe regarded as payment for the six summer months and the remainderas payment for the winter months. Wages in kind were usually paidin advance, since these products had to be consumed in the house-hold of the worker during the period of employment.

Information on the wages of agricultural workers in Austria couldnot be secured from official sources. However, a well-knownAustrian authority on wage and other labor statistics included wagesof agricultural workers in a study on standards of living. Heconcluded, that the wages of agricultural workers during the firstdecade of the Republic on the average exceeded by about 84 per centthose paid prior to World War I. In 1931, the actual wage of a malefarm worker amounted to 50 schillings per month, as compared withabout 25 schillings before World War I. The cash wage for femaleagricultural workers increased in about the same proportion, fromabout 20 schillings to 40 schillings per month. Of course, in thecase of agricultural labor the cash wage is not so important, whilepayments in kind are of greater consequence. These payments increasedto a certain extent, although not in the same proportion as cash wages.

Agricultural workers employed on large farms received about 80schillings cash per month in 1935. During the same year the cash wageof day laborers on farms, when receiving no additional payments in kind,amounted to about 4.50 schill


56/99

-48-

According to the wage statistics issued jointly by theAustrian Federation of Trade TUions and the Association of AustrianIndustrialists for 1935 both time wages and piece rate wagesprevailed in the ining industry. The average hourly earningswere as fol lows:

Time aPiece-rate wageIn Groschen per hour

Skilled workers 87 116Semi-skil led workers 85 108Unski l led workers 72 87Unsklled woen wrorkers 53

There was no great difference between th e wages of skilled andsemi-skilled workers. The skilled workers were almost exclusivelymembers of skilled trades such as carpenters, masons, and locksmiths,while th e real miners were classified as semi-skilled workers.Bonus payments were of considerable importance. Therefore, the hourlyearnings of the various categories of workers deviated considerablyfrom the hourly wages.

The hours of work per week averaged 47 hours for time workers and50 hours for piece rate workers.

Iron and Steel Industry

Both time and piece rate'wages prevailed in the iron and steelindustry. In 1935 the average hourly earnings were reported asfollows:

Time wage piee-rate wageIn Groshen per hour

Skilled workers .107 137Machine operators 99 119Semi-skilled workers 96 123

n women workers - 77Unskilled workers 79 l10

women workers 51 59


57/99

- 47 -

The higher earnings of semi-skilled workers as compared withthose of machine operators may be explained by the fact that nostrict division between these two categories is possible. Bonuspayments were comparatively unimportant in this industry, owhichmay explain the slight differences in hourly earnings between thevarious categories of workers.

The average weekly hours of work ranged from 48 hours for timeworkers to 47 hours for piece rate workers.

Automobile Industry

Earnings in the automobile industry were based on both timewages and piece rate wages. In 1935 average earnings per hour wereas follows:

Time wage Piece-rate wageIn Groschen per hour

Skilled workers 130 151Machine operators 139 162Semi-skilled workers 116 --Unskilled workers 104 125

The fact that the average earnings of machine operatorswere higher than those of skilled workers, may be explained by thehigher percentage of workers between the ages of 18 and 21 inthe group of machine operators. Bonus payments occurred onlyoccasionally.

The average weekly hours of work were 49 for time workers and47 for piece rate workers.

Chemical Industry

The majority of workers in the chemical industry received timewages. Less than 10 per cent of the earnings were based on piece ratewages. Average hourly earnings in 1935 were as followst

Time wage Piece-rate wageIn Groschen per hour

Skilled workers 117 134Machine operators 113Semi-skilled workers 114 142Semi-skilled women workers 66 76Unskilled workers 102 125Unskilled women worker 83


58/99

Hours of work per week averaged 48 for time workers and 42 forpiece rate workers0

Paper Industry

Both time wages and piece rate wages prevailed. Hourlyearnings in 1935 were as follows:

Time wage Piece rate wageIn Groschen er hour

Skilled workers 108 131Machine operators 110 103Semi-skilled workers 98 114Semi-skilled women workers 83Unskilled workers 83 .110Unski l led women workers 58 72

The hours of work per week averaged 49 for time workers and47 for piece rate workers.

Wool Industry

Both time wages and piece rate wages prevailed in the woolindustry. Hourly earnings in 1935 showed th e fol lowing averages:

Time wage Piepe rate wageIn Grosehen -e1 hour

Skilled workers 88 89Semi-skilled workers 73 75Semi-skilled women workers 55 67Unskilled workers 68 60Unskilled women workers 53 52As shown above, both men and women in th e unskilled workers

group earned less at piece rate wages than at time wages.

The weekly hours of work averaged 46 for time workers and 44for piece rate workers.


59/99

- 49 -

The larger number of skilled and semi-skilled workers inthe shoe industry were employed at piece rate wages, while the earn-ings of machine operators and unskilled workers were primarilybased on time wages. The actual hourly earnings of the variouscategories of workers showed the following averages:

Time wage Piece rate wageIn Groschen per hour

Skilled workers 114 141Skilled women workers 78 91Machine operators 78 150Women machine operators 61 75Semi-skilled workers 108 117Semi-skilled women workers 69 82Unskilled workers 88 114Unskilled women workers 54 76The average hours of work per week amounted to 46 for time workers

and 42 for piece rate workers.

Hours of Labor and Overtime

The hours of labor were regulated in Austria by the Eight HourDay Act of December 1919 which fixed normal working hours at eightper day and 48 per week. Exceptions to this Act were authorized in1934, permitting the hours in motor car repair shops to be soarranged as not to exceed 96 hours in any two consecutive weeks.The same amendment provided that bank employees could be required towork 190 hours overtime a year.

A number of factories, when working full time, worked more than8 hours per day but closed at noon on Saturday.

Most collective agreements provided that ordinary overtime wasto be paid for at 50 per cent above the normal rate of pay. Therates for so-called "night work"--v ually fter 8 p.m.--was 100per cent higher than the normal rate. Work on Sundays and legalholidays was paid for at double the normal rate.


60/99

- 50 -

In 1935 efforts were made by the Government to prevent too frequentrecourse to overtime in certain industries. Administrativeauthorities and.factory inspectors were urged to put a stop to theprolongation of normal hours of work, when there was no economicjustification for overtime. Employers were asked to engage additionalworkers instead of resorting to overtime. Statistics of actualhours of work show that in 1937 82 per cent of all workers wereworking 48 hours weekly. Twelve per cent were working on a reducedtime table.

Holidays and Vacations with Pay

The number of holidays in Austria is relatively large. Itis difficult to decide which of these holidays were considered aslegal, as there was practically no uniformity as to the recognitionof the various holidays. Certain holidays, such as November 12 andMay 1 were considered legal State holidays and were generallyrecognized as such. As regards religious holidays, however,certain ones were recognized by the Government, by banks andvarious financial institutions as full holidays and a number ashalf holidays. The number of church holidays recognised by industryin general was smaller than that recognized by Government bureausand banks.

As regards the payment for holidays, there was the same lackof uniformity as in regard to the recognition of holidays. Collec-tive agreements differed greatly as regards the number of paidholidays. According to information obtained from the ViennaChamber of Labor, about 90 per cent of the companies in the metalindustry in Vienna paid for no holidays. An allowance of two tofive paid holidays per year was frequent in other industries.The largest number of paid holidays, 15 per year, was found inthe graphic industry. It can be said, that the number of holidaysrecognized by certain industries was much larger than the numberof paid holidays.

Family Allowances and Child Endowment

The practice of granting allowances for wives and childrenthrough collective agreements went back to 1915, when certainemployers in banking and industry granted family allowances tothe dependents of their employees who had had to leave formilitary service. The amounts of these allowances varied consider-ably in different agreements, and were subject to continual

-- I.* l. k ' *'* *c


61/99

modification on account of the rapid changes in the currency.As a rule, however, the amounts were so small as to be of littleassistance to the family.

Banks paid married employees in the higher and lower gradesabout 6 per cent more than single employees and an allowance foreach child of 10 per cent of the bonuses granted fo r clothes andcertain household expenses.Industrial employees received approximately 124 per cent oftheir basic salaries or wages as allowance for the wife, and 2-per cent for each child under 14 years of age.Provisions in collective agreements for family allowancesfor manual workers applied mainly to industries outside of Vienna,

These grants were at fixed hourly rates and not as percentagesof the wage. In Vienna the collective agreements in the metalindustry provided fixed hourly allowances regardless of productiv-ity. The amounts of such grants were based on age groups.

In the steel industry of Styria certain family allowanceswere paid per week, irrespective of the number of children.Family allowances were first granted to employees in theFederal service in 1916 and the practice continued. The familyallowance provisions in the Federal Salary Act of 1924 grantedequal amounts to the wife and each dependent child up to 21 yearsof age. The various Austrian states and communes granted allowances

under systems similar to that established fo r Federal employees.

- 1 -


62/99

- 52

4. LABOR LEGISLATION AND LABOR POLICIES(a) Administrative Agencies

The Ministry of Social Administration was Austria'shighest authority in matters pertaining to labor and relatedfields. The Ministry included the Bureaus of Social Insurance,Social Policy, Public Health, and the General Inspectorate ofFactories.

The Bureau of Social Policy had administrative authority inquestions concerning the fixing of labor standards, workingconditions, and the protection of workers. It also had jurisdictionover conciliation offices, work councils, and employment exchanges.

Chambers of labor were established in Austria in 1921. Theywere public bodies functioning alongside the trade unions. Therewere eight chambers of labor, one in each of the constituent Statesof the Republic. Administratively, all the chambers were centralizedin the Chamber of Vienna. The purpose of the chambers was torepresent the economic, social, and cultural interests of wageearners and salaried employees in both commerce and industry.One of their specific functions was to give advisory opinions togovernmental authorities and to legislative bodies concerning billsand administrative orders affecting the interests of labor.

The chambers also made reports and proposals in mattersregarding employment relations, the legal protection of workers,social insurance, the labor market, housing, and adult education.These agencies participated also with the Government to some extentin economic and social administration and had representatives onvarious other bodies. At the head of each chamber there was anexecutive committee consisting of the chairman of the four divisionsand the president of the chamber. A supplementary law of July1921 provided that the chambers of labor were to have equalitywith the chambers of commerce in all matters of economic administra-tion.

(b) Labor Laws and Regulations

The basis of Austria's legislation concerning the protection ofworkers was the Industrial Code of 1859 and its numerous subsequentamendments. The provisions of this code included regulations

' P7O-li


63/99

- 53 -

regarding working conditions in general, rest periods, wagepayments and termination of employment contracts. However, numerousspecial acts pertaining to various phases of workers' protectionreplaced or supplemented the more or less general provisions ofthe Industrial Code. Among these protective laws (which aredealt with in the sections of this report to which they pertain)were the Act of December 1919 concerning the eight hour workdayand the Act of July 1919, which guaranteed to every worker twoweeks annual vacation with pay. An Act was passed in December1918, regulating the industries in the home. New provisions weremade in an Act of May 1919, which regulated Sunday rest andhours in shops and stores, applying to both wage earners andsalaried employees.

An Amendment to the Industrial Code of July 1922 made theremuneration of apprentices for the first time obligatory.The continuation school system which had existed in Austriafor several decades to supplement the practical training ofapprentices,by a Federal Act of September 1923 was given thebasis to develop into a widely recognized model educationalscheme.

By an Act of May 1919 works councils were established torepresent the economic, social, and cultural interests of the wageearners and salaried employees in each factory. To the socio-political duties of the works councils belonged the observationand execution of laws and regulations concerning workers'protection, factory hygiene, accident prevention, and workers'insurance.

As a result of the changes made in the organization of laborin 1934, the works council system was completely reorganized andadjusted to the new social structure by the Works CommunityAct of July 1934 which repealed the Works Councils Act of 1919.

-p

civil affairs handbook austria section 9

Documents