SPÖ Legislative Agenda

Why the SPÖ, of all parties, wants us to work more

Minister Korinna Schumann aims to relieve the strained budget for the labor market, social affairs, and pensions by having more workers put in extra hours.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Sozialministerium, stock.adobe.com)

This comes as a surprise: of all parties, the trade union-aligned SPÖ wants us to work more. Social Affairs Minister Korinna Schumann plans to enshrine the “right to increased working hours” in law. The “Krone” knows the background.

We have to work more, is the refrain we hear time and again from business circles and, to some extent, from politicians as well. That the SPÖ, of all parties, is now calling for a right to work longer hours comes as something of a surprise. The background is the strained situation on the Austrian labor market—as well as the budget for social services and pensions, which is groaning under the pressure of austerity measures.

The pension problem for women
A major problem, especially for women later in retirement, is precisely fewer hours on the job. But many companies (see chart) are currently looking for part-time rather than full-time workers.

This is where SPÖ Social Affairs Minister Korinna Schumann steps in. In addition to expanding childcare to create career opportunities for mothers in the first place, the goal is to increase so-called labor force participation. The SPÖ leader therefore plans to enshrine the right to work more hours in law: “Working more hours must not be thwarted by a lack of childcare. I am advocating for a legally enshrined right to increase working hours!”

In particular, the domestic sectors of health and social services, education and teaching, as well as retail, are seeking many part-time workers.(Bild: Diverse Fotografen honorarfrei)

170 million hours of overtime last year
The problem is underscored by the following striking figure: 150,000 part-time workers in Austria regularly work more hours than stipulated in their contracts. And in 2025, 170 million hours of overtime were worked, while one in seven part-time workers would like to increase their working hours.

SPÖ Minister: “It must not be left to chance”
In addition, mandatory reporting of changes in working hours during the current employment relationship is being called for to improve the data foundation. This is intended to create a binding framework for the first time. The SPÖ minister: “It must not be left to chance whether people can work more or not.” The goal is a labor market that not only enables employment but also strengthens opportunities for advancement and development within existing employment relationships.

In parallel, the federal government is working on a comprehensive skilled workforce strategy. This includes a skills development initiative focused on apprenticeships and upskilling, strengthening vocational training, and the targeted integration of international skilled workers.