Guest – Work – Life: Ceremony to mark 60 years of the recruitment agreement
On November 26, 2024, AK Vienna hosted a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of Austria’s first major recruitment agreement for foreign workers.
Guest workers have shaped Austria
In the mid-1950s, there was an increasing demand for labor throughout Central and Western Europe. After lengthy discussions, the ÖGB and the Chamber of Commerce agreed to admit 47,000 foreign workers. As a result, Austria concluded recruitment agreements with Yugoslavia and Turkey.
No integration offers were made to the incoming colleagues, as it was assumed that they would leave Austria again after a short time due to the agreed “rotation principle”. The guest workers mainly took on physically demanding and low-paid jobs that were often avoided by locals.
Although originally intended as a temporary measure, a large proportion of the workers remained in Austria, often bringing their families with them, which had a long-term impact on the country’s society and culture. This chapter of history is considered to be formative for the emergence of today’s migration society in Austria.
Ceremony to mark 60 years of the recruitment agreement
In 1964 and 1966, the important recruitment agreements for labor migration were concluded with Turkey and the former Yugoslavia. 60 years later, we paid tribute together to the central role of migrant workers and their families in Austria.
The evening was opened by speeches from AK President Renate Anderl and ÖGB Vice President Korinna Schuhmann.
This was followed by statements on visions for an inclusive society of the future by Johannes Kopf, AMS, Theodora Manolakos, City of Vienna, Maryam Singh, Beratungszentrum für Migrant:innen, Gülgün Stoiber, Peregrina, Rita Isiba, Verein ZARA, Kadim Ülker, AK Wien, the influencers Erik Seidel aka Satansbratan and Luna Reininger, Willi Mernyi, ÖGB and Ilkim Erdost, AK Wien.
The event was concluded by the Vienna Chamber of Labour’s integration steering team Oliver Gruber, Kevin Hinterberger, Johannes Peyrl, Asiye Sel and Mara Verlič. The evening was hosted by Ani Gülgün-Mayer and musically accompanied by Moša Šišic and his band.
You can watch the entire event here:
Excerpt from original – Chamber of Labor – Vienna, November 26, 2024