Description
What are the working conditions in Tyrol, South Tyrol and Trentino? This is the central question analysed in the Euregio study on working conditions. Following the European model of the Eurofound Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), which takes place every five years throughout Europe, the Euregio in cooperation with partner institutes such as the Tyrolean Chamber of Labour (AK Tirol), the South Tyrolean Workers' Promotion Institute (IPL) and the Trentino Labour Agency conducted a comprehensive survey with 4,500 interviews (1,500 per territory). As Günther Platter, Captain of Tyrol, emphasised, 'The study makes it possible for the first time to make inter-regional comparisons and to draw conclusions about relevant location factors that have an influence on working conditions'.
Physical loads: clear north-south divide
From the 360° overview of the Euregio, a clear north-south divide emerges in many physical stress parameters. The Bundesland Tyrol, for example, is more affected by physical workloads (index: 26 points) than workers in South Tyrol (23). "Workers in Trentino scored best with 19 points, which means that they are less exposed to noise, carrying heavy loads or contact with chemical or infectious substances than the other two Euregio regions," reports project coordinator and occupational psychologist Tobias Hölbling.
Psychological burdens: a cross-cutting problem
Psychologically stressful working conditions, such as work intensification (high work rhythms, time pressure, etc.) and work stress related to emotional burdens (experiencing difficult emotional situations, having to worry about work even during leisure time, etc.), are generally much more pronounced throughout the Euregio than physical workloads. Hölbling comments: 'South Tyrol in particular stands out negatively in almost all areas when it comes to psychologically stressful working conditions; the psychological pressure is indeed very high.
Problem sectors
Stressful working conditions become really problematic when various factors come into play, as is clearly the case in some economic sectors. For example, in the health care and social services sector, in the hotel and catering industry and, to some extent, also in the education sector, the combination of physical and psychological factors creates multiple stresses that have a particularly damaging effect in the long term. The reason for this is as follows: in all three sectors one works in contact with people, sick and elderly people, 'entertainment-seeking' customers, lively children and their parents, all of whom require an additional emotional load. "These tensions add up and make working in these sectors of the economy attractive for fewer and fewer workers, which can become a heavy burden given the importance of these sectors for the location of companies and for the population of the Euregio," emphasises IPL director Stefan Perini in this context.
Better working conditions or different awareness of the problem?
It is striking that the Bundesland Tyrol is worse off than Trentino in many respects, while South Tyrol is very often in the middle. There are several reasons for this: on the one hand, working conditions may actually be different, i.e. they may be better in one Euregio area than in the other two, or there may be a different perception of the problem. What is perceived as stressful by some (e.g. loud noises or emotionally difficult situations at work) may not be so for others. Isabella Speziali, director of the Trento Employment Agency, says: 'Further in-depth studies will be carried out to try to find answers to the questions that remain open and any best practices intercepted in the regional territories will be shared for the benefit of the entire Euregio area' The next event is already planned and, as Domenico Rief, head of the economic policy department of the Tyrol Chamber of Labour, points out, it will be held in Trento in autumn 2022 and will touch on the topic of 'working time/working hours'.
For the Councillor of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano Philipp Achammer, 'the Euregio Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino is part of the well-established economic area of Central Europe. At the same time, however, it also competes with other regions in the race for the brightest minds and strongest workers and must bear in mind that future generations attach great importance to social interaction, psychological well-being and responsibility for society and the environment, also in the workplace. For this reason, offering good working conditions is useful on several fronts: to recruit new skilled workers, to prevent illnesses and accidents at work and to keep workers fit in their later years of employment, and finally to ease the burden on the health care system'.