CPT asks for answers around ‘burdensome’ new minimum wage rules
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)’s Chief Executive Simon Posner has written to the Austrian Ambassador asking him to clarify new wage controls on coaches travelling through Austria.
The new legislation applies to foreign workers in Austria, including coach drivers. It requires that drivers’ hourly pay is at or above the Austrian minimum wage; that all closed-door tours and scheduled services to Austria are registered; and that evidence is carried.
In his letter, Mr Posner says: “Our members are frustrated and angered by the recently-introduced law on minimum wages for posted workers and its associated, burdensome, documentary requirements.”
He adds that questions of detail have been rebuffed by the Austrian Ministry of Labour “on the grounds that the rules are clear, but they are not.”
He has urged clarification on the following points:
- Does the requirement apply to journeys that simply bring non-Austrian tourists into Austria and take them home again?
- Is there a difference between journeys carried out for an Austrian customer and journeys for a non-Austrian customer, such as a British tour operator?
- What is the position when holidays are sold directly to passengers by the coach operator?
- What is the position of people working on tourist coaches who are not employees, such as a driver who is also the owner of the coach company?
