SOZIALWIRTSCHAFT ÖSTERREICH

SOZIALWIRTSCHAFT ÖSTERREICH – Verband der österreichischen Sozial- und Gesundheitsunternehmen (SWÖ), formerly known as Berufsvereinigung von Arbeitgebern für Gesundheits- und Sozialberufe (BAGS), represents the interests of the Austrian private social and health sector.

Tasks and services 

SOZIALWIRTSCHAFT ÖSTERREICH represents more than 570 member organisations and the entire sector that is characterised by its predominantly charitable status and a close cooperation with public authorities. As lobby organisation and employers' association, SOZIALWIRTSCHAFT ÖSTERREICH works for an improved awareness of the sector's services and negotiates the sector's collective agreement on behalf of the employers. 

SOZIALWIRTSCHAFT ÖSTERREICH provides a range of services, such as:

• legal advice for its member organisations
• lobbying at the various Austrian policy levels
• assessment of new acts and laws
• awareness raising for the sector
• strengthening the position of charitable organisations in the social sector
• strengthening the professions in the social and health sector
• information and other services for the sector 

Structure

SOZIALWIRTSCHAFT ÖSTERREICH is a registered non-profit organisation. The board is elected every two years by the general assembly. Erich Fenninger is the present chairman. His deputies are Elisabeth Anselm, Silvia Kunz and Marion Ondricek. Managig director is Walter Marschitz.

The organisation has four working groups that are highly relevant in the preparation of the yearly collective bargainings:

• Labour market services
• Work with disabled people / Psycho-social support
• Health and social services
• Childcare / Child and youth welfare services

History

The Berufsvereinigung von Arbeitgebern für Gesundheits- und Sozialberufe (BAGS) was founded in February 1997 by several organisations. The major objective of the organisation was the development of a joint collective agreement for the sector. In October 1997, the BAGS was authorized by the Austrian Ministry of Economy and Labour to negotiate the collective agreement.

After six years of negotiations, the BAGS collective agreement was decided upon in December 2003. Negotiating partners were the BAGS, the labour union GPA-djp and two other labour unions now merged to vida. The new collective agreement entered into force for BAGS members as from the 1st of July 2004.

To harmonize labour standards not only among member organisations but for the entire sector, the BAGS strove towards a respective by-law which was obtained in 2006. As a consequence, the BAGS collective agreement is now valid also for organisations in the social sector that are not members of SOZIALWIRTSCHAFT ÖSTERREICH. The agreement provides minimum standards for 60 professions in the social sector. Approximately 100.000 employees are currently covered by the BAGS collective agreement.

On 16th of April 2012, the BAGS was renamed as SOZIALWIRTSCHAFT ÖSTERREICH – Verband der österreichischen Sozial- und Gesundheitsunternehmen.