Interior Ministry presents new duty time system for police

Pilot districts and initial rollout

It is already clear that the introduction will not take place uniformly, but rather gradually. The Interior Ministry named several pilot districts in which the new system will first be applied. These include Wien-Brigittenau, the test district of Bregenz, Leibnitz, Linz, and Gänserndorf. Experience is to be gathered in these regions before the model is rolled out to other parts of Austria.

According to the ministry, the reform is set against the backdrop of a fundamental revision of the previous duty time regulations. These dated from a time when the demands on the police were different from today. With the new system, the ministry aims to respond to changed operational realities while simultaneously enabling a better balance between working and private life.

Involvement of staff representatives

The trade unions and staff representatives are being involved in the process, according to the ministry. Details on negotiation results or specific compensation payments were not yet provided on Monday. The Interior Ministry announced that further information on the timeline and the financial impacts would be published in the coming weeks.

Karner stressed that the reform is tied to the goal of keeping the police attractive as an employer. In view of the shortage of skilled workers in the security sector, it is important to modernize the general conditions for employees. Whether the new duty time system meets this aspiration is to be shown in the pilot districts.

Reactions and outlook

According to Karner's words, the pilot phase is designed as a learning system. Feedback from police officers on the ground is to feed into further development. The aim is to prevent potential problems from solidifying early on and later becoming difficult to correct.

Overall, the Interior Ministry is responding with the reform to years of discussions about the strain on the police from long shifts and frequent night duty. What exactly the new duty times will look like remained open on Monday. Karner indicated that the details would be communicated after the conclusion of the pilot phase in the affected districts.

In the coming weeks, the ministry also wants to approach the districts that are not part of the first pilot wave. The goal is to establish a broad data basis for the nationwide rollout as early as possible based on the experiences from Wien-Brigittenau, Bregenz, Leibnitz, Linz, and Gänserndorf.

By pointing to lower earning potential during night shifts, Karner has simultaneously triggered a political debate. The upcoming negotiations with the staff representatives will show to what extent the reform actually meets with acceptance among those affected.