202580 Year Anniversary of the Austrian Trade Union Federation - Set

Eighty years ago, the Austrian Trade Union Federation (Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund, ÖGB) was founded as a non-partisan umbrella organisation for trade unions.

Around 1870, people in Austria began organising into trade union movements to fight against catastrophic working and living conditions and to advocate for their rights in labour and social matters. After initial successes, independent trade unions were banned in 1934, with many dedicated activists arrested and numerous others killed. In April 1945, a plenary assembly of trade unions from the SPÖ, ÖVP, and KPÖ led to the founding of the non-partisan Austrian Trade Union Federation. Among its first major achievements were the Works Council Act, the Collective Agreement Act, and the General Social Insurance Act. Today, the ÖGB is structured into seven trade unions and has over 1.2 million members. Each year, it negotiates approximately 450 collective agreements, among other activities.