Collective agreement for private education sector workers declared binding by federal arbitration office
The Federal Arbitration Office (Bundeseinigungsamt) has declared a collective agreement for employees of private adult education institutions to be binding throughout Austria effective 1 July 2026. This makes the agreement's terms apply to all eligible employers and workers in the sector, not just the original signatories.
What changed
A collective agreement between the employers' association for private education institutions (BABE) and the Austrian trade unions (ÖGB, GPA, VIDA)—negotiated for employees of private adult education providers—has been formally declared binding (Satzungserklärung) by federal arbitration. This declaration extends the agreement's legal effect across Austria and to all qualifying employers and employees in the sector, effective 1 July 2026.
Who is affected
Employers running private adult education institutions (outside the public sector) and their employees, apprentices, and trainees, unless they are already covered by another valid collective agreement or public-sector employment law. Excluded are employees in welfare or disability programmes, interns, and volunteers.
Scope and exceptions
The agreement applies to all private adult education institutions recognized under Austrian employment law or funded through federal or state programmes. Certain sections apply only to regular employees (§§ 8, 11–13) and different sections apply to participants in labour-market reintegration programmes. Several sections of the underlying collective agreement (§§ 1–2, 4(7), 17a, 31–32, 34 in part) are exempted from the declaration.
Timing and wage adjustments
The satzung (binding declaration) takes effect 1 July 2026 and remains valid as long as the underlying collective agreement is valid. Any wage or salary increases given between 1 May 2026 (when the agreement was signed) and 1 July 2026 may be credited against the retroactive wage rise mandated by this declaration.