Arbeitgeberverbände#

Employers' Associations, voluntary employers' interest groups for certain industries and regions, established as civil-law associations. Along with the Economic Chambers, they negotiate and conclude industrial relations agreements with the Trade Unions.

The most important employers' organisations in Austria are:

Organisations without the capacity to enter into collective agreements: Oesterreichischer Wirtschaftsbund, Freier Wirtschaftsverband Oesterreichs, Ring Freiheitlicher Wirtschaftstreibender, Oesterreichischer Gewerbeverein (for trades), Handelsverband (commerce).

Organisations capable of entering into collective agreements: Vereinigung der Oesterreichischen Industrie (industrial organisation); Pharmazeutischer Reichsverband fuer Oesterreich (pharmaceuticals); Theatererhalterverband oesterreichischer Bundeslaender und Staedte (theatre management); Wiener Theater-Direktoren-Verband (theatre directors); Landesverbaende der Kinobesitzer (cinema owners); Verband der Konzertlokalbesitzer und aller Veranstalter Oesterreichs (concert venue owners and event promoters); various associations of financial and insurance institutions, as well as Verband oesterreichischer Banken und Bankiers (banks and bankers) and Verband der Versicherungsunternehmen Oesterreichs (insurance institutions); Landesverbaende der land- und forstwirtschaftlichen Arbeitgeber (agriculture and forestry); Oesterreichischer Raiffeisenverband (agricultural cooperatives); Landesverbaende der Haus- und Grundbesitzer (real estate owners); Verband der Elektrizitaetswerke Oesterreichs (electrical power plants); Verband Oesterreichischer Zeitungen (newspapers); Oesterreichischer Genossenschaftsverband (cooperatives); Oesterreichischer Apothekenverband (pharmacists); Hauptverband der graphischen Unternehmungen Oesterreichs (graphics enterprises) and others.

Only a few organisations, such as the Bankenverband (Bankers' Association) or Hauptverband der graphischen Unternehmungen (Central Association of Graphics Enterprises), actually make use of their ability to conclude collective agreements. As a rule, only the interest groups' legal representative bodies, i.e. the Economic Chambers, conclude collective agreements.