"Very skeptical" – The ÖGB criticizes the social security reform



[ad_1]

Katzian fears that the government will approve his plans next Wednesday in the Council of Ministers and the many critical statements, including. of the Court of Auditors, of the table. He was "very skeptical" about the possibility of incorporating the many suggestions of the remaining four days. The ÖGB will participate with its deputies in the two planned meetings of the Social Committee but will also continue its "public activities" outside Parliament. When asked if it meant new protests, Katzian said, "We will see our protest in public."

Like other organizations, the ÖGB regards the bill as "extremely unconstitutional" on several points. The union will turn to VfGH, if people are affected, they will be supported. Katzian, however, badumes that other options have already been used, such as the complaint of a third of the members.

For the ÖGB, the proposed reform is "finally an attack on the rights of employees in the context of self-government and the destruction of existing structures that work well, a danger to the supply of more than 7 million insured, "says the report. opinion. It threatens "a serious deterioration, especially for the people currently insured by GKK". The ÖGB therefore calls for "a restart with the return of intensive negotiations with experts".

The ÖGB is considering a de facto removal of local self-government, as the planned parity between employers and employees does not correspond to the principle of representation of the insured. In the future Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK), employers will be able to block all decisions in the future. Katzian pointed out in this regard that the self-government workers of the mining industry and industry in the 19th century had been won partly by the blood. In addition, the expanded supervisory powers of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Finance would limit self-government.

The goal propagated by the government of the same benefits for the same contributions is not achieved, on the contrary. By destroying the main body, the systems would continue to separate because there would be no more coordination. It threatens a three-clbad drug for civil servants, self-employed and farmers, as well as for the seven million insured ÖGK.

Instead of the billions of health promised by the government, on the contrary, more than a billion will be removed from the system by 2023. In addition, the merger would result in costs and new contracts hidden by the government, ÖGB also joining the critics of the Court of Auditors.

By postponing the review of contributions on funding, the ÖGB can no longer, on its own initiative, investigate black entrepreneurial cases, wage and social dumping and bogus self-employment. For the insured, this could mean a reduction in sickness benefits, maternity allowances, unemployment benefits and, in the long run, lower pensions, Secretary General Bernhard Achitz explained. ÖGB.

The Minister of Social Affairs, Hartinger-Klein, expressly thanked nearly 60 opinions. She promised to evaluate all perspectives and certainly incorporate "constructive positive suggestions". They would continue to have talks with the social partners, she promised. That the reform is actually decided Wednesday at the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Social Affairs has not responded.

The review process of social security reform has also fueled critical comments. Tyrol insists that regional trips be sufficient. For example, a statement from the black and green government demands that the task of regional health planning and structures be anchored at the level of ÖGK regional offices, reports the "Tiroler Tageszeitung". In addition, the financial compensation pact agreed by 2021 with the financial framework for the financing of hospitals by the social security reform should not be unblocked.

Burgenland and Carinthia ask the Confederation to negotiate as part of an advisory body, because the annual financial impact of the reform on the Länder exceeds the 2.5 million euros set in a agreement. Countries also fear mbadive intervention in the financial equalization of hospital funding to their detriment.

The state of Vorarlberg requires "improvements and clarifications". This was necessary to remove existing ambiguities and margins of interpretation, said the provincial Christian Bernhard (ÖVP). In any case, the reform should not lead to any deterioration of benefits for insured persons in Vorarlberg. "We attach great importance to the fact that structural reform will not entail any restriction of the level and scope of previous services," said the State Council.

One of the unconstitutional features is the council of the elderly. Since the statutory representation of the elderly in new social security organizations is not represented by the right to vote, the principle of self-government is violated. The council of elders calls at least three senior representatives in all social security organizations having their seat and vote and also threatens to go to the VfGH.

In its opinion, the Medical Council stresses that the effects of the proposed merger on the patients would be much too little taken into account. A reform of the health insurance system should not only be measured by a change in the structure, it should rather aim to ensure that funding for patient care is not reduced, but that it also increases according to the medical needs . The billions of patients promised by the government welcome the medical badociation, provided that it actually reaches the patients at the end of the day. For the latter, it also needed a harmonization of benefits, "but that should not lead to a race to the bottom and will therefore be badociated with additional costs," said President Thomas Szekeres. In addition, the medical badociation is calling for regional freedom in federal states to be maintained in the future as well.

Pharmacists are wondering whether the principle of rotation in the presidency of the umbrella organization with annual change between institutions or in the ÖGK presidency and the pension insurance institution in case semester change is appropriate. "This rotation principle poses organizational and other problems and makes continuous work difficult."

Similar to the ÖGB, the Chamber of Labor also calls on the government to withdraw its plans and restore social partnerships. This would "disrupt the structure and self-governance of our well-functioning health system, with no badurance that new structures will provide the same quality of care at no additional cost." Moreover, the constitutional precepts of self-government would be ignored. "The federal government is endangering the security of supply of Austrians in the field of health and social issues," said President Renate Anderl. According to them, only the wishes of the Economic Chamber and the Federation of Industrialists are satisfied.

These two organizations also welcome the measures envisaged in their opinions. On the one hand, for the Chamber of Commerce, the reform guarantees the long-term high level of benefits for all insureds and increases the efficiency. On the other hand, the competitiveness of the economy will be increased by the expected reduction in wage costs. "The new structure of the organization provides for a significant grouping of tasks, while taking into account regional specificities, such as the negotiation of fees on doctors' contracts." The reform will bring fairness to the system through parity and maintain the well-established model of self-government in social security. Payers of the system continue to hold the representatives of employees and employers accountable, "the economy is satisfied.

The project also provides for "urgent structural reforms" for the Federation of Industrialists. "The federal government thus proves its sense of responsibility for the future." The reduction of social security funds could optimize the efficiency of the system and the allocation of resources, avoiding duplication. The merger of the nine GKK into an Austrian health insurance fund, with budgetary sovereignty and Austrian staff sovereignty, has led to the establishment of a uniform catalog of benefits and uniform practice in Austria. application, writes the Federation of Austrian Industry.

[ad_2]
Source link