Finance

Above all, however, hosts demand predictability. A short-term cancellation of a restaurant opening would be fatal.

“We expect opening steps to take place on March 15th.” In the ORF program Hohes Haus, Chamber of Commerce Secretary General Karlheinz Kopf was confident that the catering and hotel industry will be able to open in mid-March. But in the end, politics decide, so Kopf.

And she is currently cautious. The date for openings for landlords and hoteliers will probably move back from mid-March – not necessarily until Easter, but even that cannot be ruled out, writes the press , for example. It is conceivable that there will be the first gentle easing in the second half of March – initially, for example, by only opening the pub gardens.

Today the government is consulting with experts, the opposition and state governors which opening steps can be dared. For the foreseeable future probably only very small ones (see article below)

“I'm not a denier of reality”

The hosts hope for further easing in March, ideally in the middle of the month. “We expect that a specific time will be given. Postponing again without a date would not be acceptable,” said gastronomy chairman Mario Pulker on Monday at the APA.

He was “very excited” about the results of today's deliberations, but: “I've never had such an uncertain feeling,” said Pulker. “I'm not a denier of reality.” He admitted that the number of infections is increasing, but attributes this to the many corona tests. New infections are over 2,000 again, but the number of hospital admissions and the utilization of intensive care units are still low. The ratio is different from that in autumn, because the many tests also reveal mild and asymptomatic infections.

The landlord's representative thinks March is a good time to open, as many seasonal businesses would no longer or not yet open anyway. Many restaurants that are dependent on tourists also remained closed. The easing will therefore initially only affect year-round farms.

What is definitely not possible would be to offer a loosening, but then to cancel it at short notice. So if an opening were allowed on March 15th, the date would have to hold. “Unlocking and locking up is deadly, the factories are all the more dead,” explained Pulker. It takes around ten days to buy goods from wholesalers and to bring employees back from short-time work or from the AMS, says Pulker.

The trade association pushed for an all-or-nothing strategy on Monday. The government would have to make a clear decision. “Either all companies and institutions are allowed to unlock immediately or we will all go into a complete lockdown again until after Easter. The figures show that half measures are increasingly counterproductive,” said Peter Lieber, President of the Austrian Trade Association.

“We are convinced, however, that this decision can only be called” Unlock! “It remains inexplicable that, despite clever prevention concepts, restaurants, theaters or hotels are not allowed to open.”

The Microsoft co-founder also occasionally uses an iPhone, but appreciates the Google operating system more.

In an in-depth interview on Clubhouse, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates chatted about numerous topics, from the coronavirus pandemic to climate change and Steve Jobs. The topic of Android and iPhones was also raised. And Bill Gates came out as an Android fan.

“I use an Android phone. Since I want to keep an eye on everything, I often play around with iPhones. But the smartphone that I carry around with me every day is an Android phone,” said Gates.

Why prefer Android?

The Microsoft co-founder was then asked if there were ideological reasons. Gates evaded the question, saying that the pre-installed Microsoft apps are one reason why he prefers Android to iPhones. Gates also praised Android's more open ecosystem. This allows more flexibility, which he appreciates.

Back in 2017, Bill Gates announced that he had now switched to Android. At the time, he didn't want to answer whether he switched from an iPhone or a Windows phone to the Google operating system.

Bill Gates' biggest mistake

Gates apparently still worries that Microsoft has failed with its mobile operating system, as he revealed in 2019. “The biggest mistake of all time, whatever mismanagement I've done, is that Microsoft isn't what Android is now … that Android (alongside Apple) is the standard smartphone platform,” Gates says, as in that Video can be seen.

With his years of experience and his dominant position in desktop operating systems, it should have been a natural thing for Microsoft to win the smartphone market, said the Microsoft founder.

Interview for iOS users only

The interview took place on Clubhouse. Ironically, the hyped social media app is only available for iOS. Android users cannot currently use Clubhouse.

Clubhouse co-founder Paul Davidson put in a top priority at the moment to make Clubhouse accessible to Android users.

Although bars and cinemas are closed, children's fashion is the big hit.

The Lugner City shopping center in Vienna achieved significantly more sales in the first few weeks after the lockdown than in the comparable weeks of the previous year. In the first week from February 8th, the company was up by 400,000 euros, as owner Richard Lugner reported to the APA on Monday. This is despite the fact that the around 34 restaurants and the cinema in the “LuCi” are still open. Lugner speaks out clearly in favor of opening up the gastro.

“I think the youth and other people just want to be in contact with people they know. If that is not possible in the inn, it takes place at home – without a mask and without any distance,” said Lugner. According to Lugner, there could be “organized meetings” in bars and a meeting should not be restricted to two families. “Why should that be forbidden when five women or five men meet?” The opening of fitness centers and cinemas should be viewed differently again.

The cinema in Lugner City was open for a while last summer, “but that didn't work,” reported the prominent master builder. There were no blockbusters available. In general, cinemas have lost around 20 percent of their sales since 2009 because there is an increasing possibility of watching new films online.

His Lugner City benefits from the good location and transport links, said Lugner. The shopping center in Vienna's 15th district also benefits from the fact that there is currently no possibility for customers to use a toilet on Vienna's Mariahilfer Straße. The frequency is better in Lugner City than in other Viennese shopping centers.

In the second week after reopening, the “LuCi” has, according to its owner, an additional 100,000 euros more than in the corresponding week of the previous year. “Last week it was around 20,000 euros,” said Lugner. “Because of the nice weather, I'm afraid people will go to the mall less now.”

The MediaMarkt in Lugner City posted “sensational sales increases” in the first week, and people were queuing in front of the C&A branch “because of the children's fashion”. Obviously, the children grew bigger in the six weeks of lockdown.

According to an OECD report, there is a lot of catching up to do, especially among younger people. A “finance license” should come.

In the classic Austrian educational timetable, far too little knowledge about business and finance is conveyed. The Ministry of Finance has therefore been working on the development of a national financial education strategy since May 2020. On Monday, Finance Minister Gernot Blümel (ÖVP) announced the current status of the project together with the long-standing CEO of Erste Bank, Andreas Treichl, and Federal School Spokeswoman Alexandra Bosek.

In cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the financial knowledge of Austrians has been analyzed over the past few months – as well as the financial education offers currently available in this country.

According to Blümel, the OECD report shows that adults in Austria have an above-average education in the area of finance when compared internationally. However, there is still some catching up to do, especially among younger people and “certain population groups”. That is why an ideas competition was started in January in cooperation with the federal student council, in which students can participate in the design of such financial education offers. The ideas collected should then flow into the planned action plan.

The report also shows that the existing financial education offers in Austria are uncoordinated. “There are numerous sensible and established initiatives in Austria, but the overall view is missing,” said Blümel. Most financial education initiatives are therefore aimed at young people in schools. Even if the need is certainly greater among young people, it is still important “that all target groups have access to financial education”.

“The lack of financial and economic education in Austria is not a new phenomenon, it is unfortunately a tradition”, said the longstanding Erste boss Treichl. “In my opinion, it also makes a significant contribution to widening the gap between rich and poor.”

Subsequently, “a uniform finance license is planned,” said Blümel. The notification should then serve as confirmation of the knowledge gained for your own curriculum vitae.

In the further development of the action plan, the Ministry of Finance wants to work closely with the heavyweights of the Austrian economy, including large banks. However, the project is being financed exclusively from the ministry's budget, according to Blümel.

Rejection for work on Sundays outside of systemically important areas.

The alliance for the Sunday off sees its concern, the preservation of the Sunday off, all the more important, especially in times of the corona pandemic. The pressure on people has already increased due to more work pressure, high unemployment, insecurity and fears, but the non-working Sunday must be maintained as an oasis of calm and an opportunity for togetherness and relaxation, the representatives pleaded on Monday at an online press conference.

The alliance, founded 20 years ago, is an alliance of mainly church and employee organizations, but the Austrian Brass Music Association and Naturefriends are also involved. She is collecting signatures on a petition https://www.freiersonntag.at/unterstuetze-uns/ and has carried out a survey.

Accordingly, six out of ten Austrians want to keep their work-free Sunday as free time together and are not prepared to work regularly on Sundays. Among women with children, the rejection of Sunday work rises to 74 percent. Almost 60 percent also do not want the working week to be more flexible and would not accept the cancellation of the weekend rest in favor of more individual days off.

According to the survey, the advantages of working-free Sundays are the ability to plan – many have free at the same time – and the quieter, less stressful life. A third named festivals and religious celebrations that take place on Sundays. By the way, according to the survey, Saturday is used the most for online purchases, not Sunday. For the study, 1,000 people between the ages of 16 and 69 throughout Austria were interviewed.

In surveys of trade employees, well over 90 percent are in favor of receiving the free Sunday, added ÖGB President Wolfgang Katzian. “Many people yearn for deceleration in Corona times, they need the Sunday off to be able to switch off and clear their heads,” said the top union. In view of the increasing psychological stress for employees and their fear of the job or the worries of the unemployed, a piece of security is all the more important now. In the delivery industry, where bogus self-employed people often have to work around the clock, the union demands general contractor liability for subcontracting. In this way, the client should be liable to the subcontractors for compliance with labor law by the deliverer.

Jana Zuckerhut from the platform for single parents referred to the situation of single parents. Especially for this group, the free time is very limited. Working on Sunday would mean that the children would have to be put in childcare and would then have no free time at all. “Do we need more profit or more time for one another, with family, friends or even for yourself?” she asked.

Chamber of Labor President Renate Anderl explained that people would not spend more money in this difficult time even with shops open on Sunday. Many are very concerned about the future and therefore do not have any major consumer spending. People needed rest and time for family, friends and themselves.

This is guaranteed by the common free time on Sunday, which is for many people off work. Due to the increased home office in the corona pandemic, the line between work and leisure during the week is blurring anyway, so relaxation on Sunday is all the more important. “Many women and men keep our community going on Sunday anyway, I don't see why there should be more.”

The Viennese superintendent of the Evangelical Church AB, Matthias Geist, recalled the historical dimension. On March 3, 321, Emperor Constantine issued an edict that made a work-free Sunday mandatory. “This break is a real anchor of life”, it is not about party politics but about human dignity.

Bishop Alois Schwarz added that without a free Sunday there would only be working days. “It is a day against the enslavement of man, against the exploitation of creation”. For many people, Sunday is also a working day, for example in care, in the hospital or in the catering trade. “We should also be vigilant that Sunday is a special day for those who have to work, that it is not aligned with the days of the week.”

Wintersteiger AG, based in Ried im Innkreis, will probably only be known to industry experts. The company usually specializes in the hygienic storage of ski boots, sportswear and workwear. This existing knowledge could be used together with the subsidiary Steurer GmBH to implement what the company says was a very promising innovation in the fight against the coronavirus.

More effective than FFP2 masks

The cube-shaped air purifier “Cubusan” is supposed to be able to eliminate 99.99 percent of all bacteria, fungal spores and viruses – including corona viruses – through the use of cold plasma, reports the Upper Austrian News online. A single device can clean a 50 square meter room and has a stronger filter performance than FFP2 masks, is the company's promise.

Wintersteiger has been using prototypes of the cube for months to enable meetings without wearing masks. In contrast to conventional systems, the room air is not sucked in and filtered, but enriched with hydroxyl radicals, which are also known as “detergents of the atmosphere”, and thus cleaned.

2000 euros per cube

Series production of the “Cubusan” is now in full swing. However, the cube can currently only be ordered by corporate customers, at a unit price of 1990 euros. In any case, Wintersteiger is confident that the device will “make an important contribution to lower numbers of infections” in the future. General Manager Daniel Steininger sees potential for the use of the cube especially where people meet in closed rooms: “I am thinking of meeting and seminar rooms, classrooms or waiting rooms, but also of shops, restaurants and lounges for the elderly and the elderly Nursing homes. “

You can find more information about the “Cubusan” here.

Upper Austrians rely on sustainability in the climate protection decade, “cuts were tough, but necessary”

The Upper Austrian aircraft supplier FACC presented a new strategy on Monday. By 2030, the company wants to be one of the 50 largest aerospace groups in the world, and is currently among the top 100. FACC wants to score above all with sustainability. Flying should become more environmentally friendly and quieter.

As examples, CEO Robert Machtlinger cited an aircraft cabin made from renewable raw materials and lightweight structures made from recyclable materials.

In the corona year 2020, FACC suffered a significant drop in sales and, according to preliminary figures from last week, posted a loss of more than EUR 74 million.

FACC is convinced that the market for civil passenger aircraft will continue to grow strongly, but differently than before. “Climate policy and environmental protection will shape the coming decade. New materials, more efficient manufacturing processes and digitization are required.”

FACC was one of the first companies in the industry to respond comprehensively to the changes. “The cuts were tough, but necessary.” FACC also wants to grow in the areas of drones and space.

IHS Markit Purchasing Managers' Index rose by 3.1 points to 57.9 points in February

The mood in industrial companies in the eurozone continues to brighten despite the corona crisis. The purchasing managers index of the research company IHS Markit rose in February by 3.1 points to 57.9 points, as Markit announced after a second survey round. It is the highest value of the survey-based indicator in three years. An initial estimate has been revised slightly upwards.

Markit chief economist Chris Williamson commented that the industry is becoming more and more a bright spot in the euro zone. The indicator has been well above the growth limit of 50 points for several months. According to Markit, sentiment has brightened in all eurozone countries except Greece. Companies are currently benefiting from strong domestic and export demand, Williamson said. The reason is the hope for an economic improvement with progressive corona vaccinations.

The solid growth of the industrial sector is helping to offset the ongoing Corona weakness in many consumer-oriented industries, Williamson said. This would mitigate the effects of the latest corona measures in many countries. For a long time now, trade and service providers have been much more affected by the restrictions of public life than industry.

Online services like Bolt, Free Now, Holmi and Uber arrange taxis and not rental cars.

Starting today, Monday, taxi driving without a taximeter is permitted in Austria for the first time. The taxi and rental car business was merged at the beginning of the year, and all drivers now need a taxi license. The brokerage platforms Free Now and Holmi are now expanding their offerings in Vienna. Uber also announced an offensive in Vienna and Salzburg.

According to the company, around 1,200 taxis drive around Vienna for Free Now. “Our customers now have the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they want to use the convenience of a spacious limousine or prefer a cheap standard taxi,” explains Free Now managing director Sarah Lamboj in a broadcast.

Holmi is already basing its price model on the new Vienna Taxi Tariff Ordinance, which is expected to come into force in mid-March. For trips booked in advance via the Internet or by telephone, the minimum taxi fare can be under or overrun by up to 20 percent. “With the price framework, we are anticipating the advantages of the tariff model announced by the City of Vienna and ensuring that the customer can order a vehicle at the lowest price,” said Holmi Managing Director Jürgen Gunz.

With the merger of the taxi and rental car industry, also known as “Lex Uber, the rules of the taxi industry were largely adopted, but a little more price flexibility was created.

All drivers now have to have a taxi license, thousands of rental car drivers lost their jobs. NEOS politician Markus Ornig recently spoke of up to 5,000 people affected.

Online services such as Bolt, Free Now, Holmi and Uber now arrange taxis and not rental cars. For the taxi license you have to take an exam and the driver has to prove knowledge of German. Most of the former rental car drivers do not have a taxi license and, according to industry representatives, the failure rate for the taxi test is very high.

plane

5G uses frequency bands similar to those used by aircraft altimeters. That could compromise security.

The new mobile communications standard is not only controversial because of feared health risks – as it now turns out, 5G can also disrupt flight operations. The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) recently warned flight operators that 5G signals could affect the altimeters of airplanes and helicopters.

These devices use frequencies similar to the new cellular standard. According to the DGAC, it is to be feared that this could lead to unnoticed errors in the altitude measurement, which would seriously endanger flight safety.

Basically, this means that as a passenger, it is all the more urgent to switch off your smartphone or tablet on the plane or leave it in flight mode. However, the French authorities go further:

They require the antennas near airports to throttle their performance.

At 17 French airports, the DGAC has already ordered that antenna power be reduced.

The warning from France is a reaction to a study from the USA, according to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation. There, the frequencies used for 5G are closer to those of the altimeter. Now, however, a comprehensive study is also to be carried out for Europe, which will examine the risks more closely. The result is expected for summer 2022.