Comparison shows:

No one allows themselves higher wage increases than chambers

The Chamber of Commerce is increasing the salaries of its 5,800 employees by 4.2 percent above inflation.(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Employer representatives call for wage restraint at every opportunity, but at the same time the Chamber of Commerce increases the salaries of its employees by 4.2 percent. A comparison shows that no increase this fall is as generous as that of the WKÖ. The Chamber of Labor is in second place with an increase of 2.9 percent, while the metalworkers' agreement is the lowest.

The leading metalworkers surprised everyone this year with their rapid wage agreement. In the very first round, the social partners agreed an increase of just 1.41%. It is a "crisis agreement", with bonuses to secure purchasing power.

4.2 percent increase instead of "wage restraint"
The Chamber of Commerce, however, wants nothing to do with a crisis agreement and is giving its employees a generous 4.2 percent increase. No one has yet come close to this generous adjustment from January 2026, according to a graphic from the industry-related medium Selektiv.

Employees of the Chamber of Labor are the next biggest winners, also receiving more than the inflation rate at 2.9 percent. This is followed by the state-affiliated railroad sector with 2.7 percent. Pensioners receive 2.25 percent more, which is partly below the relevant inflation rate.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

In other sectors of the private sector, such as breweries or the metal industry, the increase is also lower. One chamber also stands out and is saving money for itself: The Chamber of Agriculture closed with 1.5 percent.

Civil servants also have to make do with 1.5 percent; the agreement, which was fixed for two years, was cut and adjusted. However, there is nothing to shake about the wage increase at the Chamber of Commerce. The increase of 4.2 percent is not the result of negotiations, but is linked to a fixed calculation: The plus is strongly based on the KV agreements of the previous year, which were relatively high. At the time, the formula was agreed jointly by all parliamentary groups, including the Freedom Party and the Greens, with the exception of the pink group Unos, which was not yet represented in the committee.

Unfavorable timing during wage negotiations
Over the past ten years, the increases have not been higher on average than in other sectors, as the increase has often been lower than other collective wage agreements.

Nevertheless, the signal effect and the timing are very unfavorable, which particularly annoys employers. After all, they also finance the salaries of over 5800 Chamber of Commerce employees with their compulsory contributions. On the other hand, there was praise from the trade union, which hopes that the Chamber of Commerce will take this as an example for the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.