AK President Outraged

Mauthausen: Short-Time Work Due to a Broken Danube Bridge?

In the summer of 2028—following the state election—the Danube Bridge will be closed for three months. The consequences for employees and businesses will be massive.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

The Danube Bridge in Mauthausen is set to be completely closed for three months starting in the summer of 2028. Now, a planned event by the Chamber of Commerce is causing a stir: The event is also expected to address short-time work and temporary layoff agreements for affected businesses. Chamber of Labor President Andreas Stangl is outraged.

Chamber of Labor President Andreas Stangl is outraged: He has been informed by the Perg district that, due to the planned closure of the Danube bridge in Mauthausen, discussions are already underway within the Chamber of Commerce regarding the potential consequences for businesses and their employees.“Apparently, there are serious discussions about placing employees on short-time work or entering into suspension agreements due to the bridge closure,” Stangl told the “Krone.”

Short-time work models and temporary layoff agreements under discussion
The background to this is the planned renovation of the important transportation link between Upper and Lower Austria. Starting in the summer of 2028, the Danube Bridge is scheduled to be completely closed for about three months. During this time, thousands of commuters will have to prepare for detours, longer travel times, and additional costs. 

Employees are not to blame for the decades-long political failure in planning and implementing the necessary infrastructure measures. 

Arbeiterkammer-Präsident Andreas Stangl

An information session on the bridge closure planned by the WKO district office in Perg is now causing further frustration among employee representatives. According to the Chamber of Labor, the session is set to discuss, among other things, short-time work models and so-called suspension contracts.

For Stangl, this is heading in completely the wrong direction: “It’s unacceptable that employees end up having to pay the price for infrastructure failures.” Together with the ÖGB Upper Austria and works council members from the Perg district, the Chamber of Labor president has therefore addressed an open letter to WKOÖ President Doris Hummer. In it, the employee representatives demand a clear commitment that the costs and consequences of the closure will not be passed on to the employees.

Calls for More Public Transportation and Financial Relief
At the same time, the employee representatives are holding policymakers accountable. They are calling for a transportation plan covering the entire duration of the closure, more public transportation connections—especially timed to coincide with shift changes—additional park-and-ride options, and financial relief for employees who incur additional travel and commuting costs due to the closure.