Hattmannsdorfer: No Basis for Proceedings Against WKÖ Present

He called for a "discussion on the substantive level" about solutions and listed some cases of abuse.

Union Wanted Procedure Against WKÖ

The WKÖ stated at the beginning of October that abusive sick leave costs the economy up to 8.5 billion euros in value creation annually. According to a Wifo report, however, all reported sick leaves of the year 2023, both justified and unjustified together, would cost 8.5 billion euros in value creation (with direct costs of 5.8 billion euros), countered vida chairman Roman Hebenstreit in the open letter - and demanded a retraction from the chamber and from Hattmannsdorfer, who was the WKÖ's Secretary General for about two months at the beginning of 2025, the initiation of a procedure against the chamber. Meanwhile, there is also a parliamentary inquiry on this, in which the union hopes for a clear positioning from Hattmannsdorfer.

Union Wants to Exchange with WKÖ

The union reacted immediately on Friday to Hattmannsdorfer's announcement and now wants to exchange with the WKÖ about numerous burdens on the welfare state - especially those that cause high costs. It is true that social fraud represents a burden, but "far greater grievances" are tax fraud, which costs 13 billion euros annually, unpaid overtime, through which as "wage theft" employees and the state lost around 2.3 billion euros in 2024, as well as corruption and cronyism, which caused an estimated 15 billion euros in economic damage in 2021. In contrast, the task force of the Ministry of the Interior uncovered only about 23 million euros in damage through social benefits fraud in 2024. Since the task force was founded in 2018, it has been 135 million euros, according to Hattmannsdorfer's letter.

(APA/Red)

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