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© Paul Keheler

15. 01. 13. - 17:00

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15. 01. 13. - 17:00

Union helps exploited construction workers

The construction workers' union is putting the spotlight on construction sites as part of a crack down on abusive em,plyment practices.

They are also communicating more and more regularly on whether the workers are being paid correctly or not. Sub-firms in particular are trying to cheat foreign workers with social security or allowances, they say.

During a check-up at the Salzburg Central Station construction site on Thursday night, the trade unionists were accompanied by a translator and a thick folder of rulings for collective contracts and social security. Only the management and foreman spoke German on the Salzburg train station construction site.

Gerhard Daskiewicz from the Bau-Holz union said: "We are walking around construction sites and have heard that there are 15 polish workers here. We would like to inform them about their rights and the correct payments today – to see whether they are being paid correctly."

They found the men were getting no allowances, and they were not even registered.

The trade unionists said that in construction sub-firms especially , people were stingy about paying out allowances to workers. Even worse, companies try to use the lax EU social security rulings to employ the foreign workers illegally in Austria.

Daskiewicz uses an example: "I am a polish worker. I am registered in Poland – so I have the A1 form. The next day, I'm unregistered. But I'm Austrian, I prove it and I'm legal. The controlling authorities then can't figure out whether I'm socially covered or not."

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