Austrian workers' chamber secures 7,500 Euro for apprentice after wage theft

The Arbeiterkammer Kärnten, an Austrian workers' chamber, secured a 7,500 euro settlement for an automotive apprentice who faced wage theft and harassment.

The apprentice experienced increasing pressure at his workplace, where the employer failed to pay his wages properly and provided no person to oversee his training. The employer also accused the young man of stealing and intentionally damaging a customer's vehicle.

These conditions led the apprentice to sign a mutual termination of his apprenticeship and seek help from the workers' chamber. Youth representative Erich Malle confirmed that the chamber achieved an out-of-court settlement with the training company. The company paid a gross amount of nearly 7,500 euro to cover the apprentice's outstanding claims.

President Günther Goach warned businesses against treating apprentices as cheap labor, noting that companies need to train and treat young people fairly to address the shortage of skilled workers.