Nursing staff raise their voices: Protest against cuts in Salzburg!

Nursing staff raise their voices: Protest against cuts in Salzburg!

On Wednesday, the state capital Salzburg turned into a center of protest: over 2,500 participants in a loud demonstration demanded respect, fair pay and, above all, the preservation of the social infrastructure. The reason for the march was the Salzburg state government's planned cuts in the areas of care, support and social services, such as Salzburg24 reported. The demonstration started at 4 p.m. at the Parkhotel Brunnauer and led to the main entrance of the Salzburg state clinics.

Nursing staff and social workers made their displeasure clear with signs like “Black and blue = social cuts” and “Without us you’ll look pretty old.” A works council conference between the ÖGB and specialist unions took place in advance to pool the concerns of the employees and demonstrate strength. The organizers also announced another protest, the “Care Parade”, for November 25th to take a stand against the so-called “care robbery”.

Alarming situation in the care industry

The background to the protests is worrying: The Austrian Social Economy (SWÖ) warns of massive attacks on the social infrastructure in Salzburg. In particular, the planned cancellation of the care bonus by the black-blue state government and the planned tariff adjustments in the social sector have come under criticism. These should be capped below the legally required level, which would have serious consequences for care, assistance for the disabled and social services. Loud OTS There is a risk of cuts amounting to millions, which endanger the security of supply and put jobs in the industry at risk.

SWÖ managing director Yvonne Hochsteiner spoke sharply and described the situation as an active sabotage of security of supply. Facilities such as senior homes and mobile services often do not know how to cover salaries and costs. The new Social Sector Tariff Adjustment Act 2026 limits adjustments to inflation and thus leads to real cuts, although statutory adjustments should be between 3.5 and 3.8%.

Important reforms required

Classic issues such as improving working conditions in care, support for caring relatives and affordable care are not only the focus of the protest movement, but were also emphasized in a parliamentary inquiry. There the challenges in the care and support of representatives of civil society, such as parliament reported, discussed in detail. They made it clear that Austria is lagging behind in international comparison when it comes to digitalization and that the supply landscape urgently needs to be further developed intelligently and in line with needs.

The representatives called for a comprehensive reform approach to address the nursing shortage and the differences in services depending on where you live. It is important to improve the situation of caring relatives and to create a system that guarantees affordable and humane care. These discussions make it clear how necessary it is to set the course for sustainable care provision.

The wave of protests, especially in combination with the worrying developments in social policy, shows that there is an urgent need for action in Salzburg and beyond. The coming days and weeks will be crucial to see to what extent the voices of the protesters are heard and whether measures to improve the situation in care can actually be implemented.