Metalworkers’ wage deal draws praise and union pushback, Vienna to hold a security summit on drug use, and Trump cites Austria’s prisons in a UN speech – plus more stories from Austria on Wednesday.
Metalworkers’ wage deal sparks praise and union unease
The government praised the swift collective agreement in the metal industry, calling it a sign of responsibility in challenging economic times, as reported by ORF.
Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) said the deal would help meet next year’s 2 percent inflation target, while unions stressed it must not set a precedent for other sectors.
Union leaders from retail and rail said they would insist on sector-specific negotiations. GPA head Barbara Teiber criticised business chamber president Harald Mahrer for suggesting the deal should be applied more broadly, arguing that this would “undermine social partnership”. The railway union also ruled out accepting real wage losses.
Vienna to hold security summit on Gumpendorfer Straße drug scene
Vienna’s drug coordinator Ewald Lochner announced a “strategic security summit” with police after growing concern about public drug use around the Gumpendorfer Straße U6 station, ORF Wien reported.
Businesses and residents say addicts are openly using drugs in nearby parks and streets, driving customers away.
The police said the area has long been under intensive patrol, with daily checks, riot units and dog squads. The city has also increased social workers on the streets by 60 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. Lochner insisted more officers were still needed to prevent the problem from escalating further.
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Trump cites Austria’s prison statistics in UN speech
US President Donald Trump mentioned Austria during a UN General Assembly speech dominated by attacks on illegal migration, Die Presse reported.
He claimed 53 percent of Austria’s prison population were non-Austrians, linking it to migration, though the figures include EU citizens and long-term residents.
Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) criticised Trump’s address for lacking concrete global proposals. She noted Austria was ready to cooperate on curbing irregular migration and weapons proliferation, but emphasised that international diplomacy required more than rhetoric.
Car and coach collide in Laab im Walde, one dead
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A 36-year-old man was killed when his car collided with a Dutch coach carrying 43 passengers in Laab im Walde, Lower Austria, on Tuesday afternoon, ORF Niederösterreich reported.
Ten passengers were slightly injured and one sustained moderate injuries.
Emergency services, including two helicopters, 25 paramedics and several fire brigades, responded. Th,e bus was later towed from the B13 road, where diesel had leaked into the roadway.
Seven-year-old dies after fall from Vienna window
The boy who fell from a second-floor apartment window in Vienna’s Penzing district on Saturday has died of severe head injuries, ORF Wien confirmed.
His mother discovered him in the courtyard after the fall.
Police said initial investigations suggest an accident, but further checks will determine whether negligence was involved
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