What Corona means for the automotive industry

What Corona means for the automotive industry

For Austria's motor vehicle companies, no stone is left unturned due to the corona virus. While car dealerships are initially closed on Monday, March 16, 2020 and all sales employees are not allowed to be present, workshops - both independent and branded - are allowed to open in the interests of system maintenance. When it comes to EBV, it’s also business as usual. All telephone and online advice, assistance and services will continue to be available. As usual, you can reach the EBV hotline on 01/890 30 80 or by email ebv@automotive.at or via our chat. Availability: Monday - Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Fridays: 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

There is also a state of emergency in road freight transport, which is particularly important for maintaining supplies. The Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) has issued a decree regarding an exception to the requirements of Regulation 561/2006 with regard to driving and rest times and journey breaks. For transports that maintain general supplies and help eliminate the bottlenecks that have arisen as a result of the Corona crisis, the classic ones will temporarily no longer apply with immediate effect. For the same reason, the weekend driving bans for trucks weighing 7.5 tonnes or more were previously suspended throughout Austria.

Questions & Answers

Which businesses must remain closed due to the coronavirus restrictions announced by the federal government and which are allowed to remain open?

In principle, entering the customer area of ​​retail establishments, service companies and leisure and sports businesses is prohibited. However, many businesses are at least partially exempt from this ban, including grocery stores and pharmacies, health and care services, gas stations, delivery services, public transport, waste disposal companies and vehicle repair shops. Here is the list of criteria for business closures:

Are there special hotlines for entrepreneurs?

The first point of contact for companies is the Chamber of Commerce. The Corona information point set up here is working hard to always provide up-to-date answers to questions online https://www.wko.at/service/faq-coronavirus-infos.html. There is also a hotline: Tel. 0590900-4352.(Note: The hotline is currently overloaded and almost everything is already available in the FAQs online)

What protective measures can be taken for employees?

Particularly in companies with frequent customer contact or when customers come into contact with people at risk, employers are required, due to their duty of care, to take appropriate precautionary measures to protect their employees from infections. This would be the instruction to:

▪ Wash your hands several times a day with soap and water or an alcohol-based disinfectant;

▪ Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing;

▪ Avoiding contact with sick people.

Does the employer have to provide protective equipment, such as face masks and protective gloves, for employees who have ongoing contact with customers?

No, hygiene measures such as washing your hands with soap several times a day are sufficient. 

May an employee refuse to work with individuals returning from affected areas. Can he refuse to go to certain areas?

Basically not, unless these people show symptoms of coronavirus disease. If certain requirements are met, truck drivers may also be obliged to transport goods from Austria to Italy as part of their duty of loyalty: These requirements are:

• Der Arbeitgeber ergreift Schutzmaßnahmen, die die Ansteckung minimieren (z.B. Bereitstellung von Desinfektionsmitteln, Handschuhe, etc.)
• Der LKW-Fahrer verlässt das Fahrzeug nicht, außer für unbedingt erforderliche Tätigkeiten (z.B. Aufsuchen eines WC).
• Wenn das Be- und Entladen den Abstieg vom Fahrzeug erfordert, muss der Sicherheitsabstand (2 m) eingehalten werden.

The transport documents are transmitted electronically. 

What special regulations apply to the transport industry in order to be able to maintain supplies? (driving bans, rest periods, etc.)

In order to maintain supplies, freight transport is, among other things, exempt from the entry ban into Italy. Trips that are used in the event of a disaster are also exempt from the weekend driving ban. In addition, the requirements for driving and rest times for vehicles used for transport in order to eliminate the bottlenecks that have arisen as a result of the “Corona crisis” or to continue to maintain general supplies do not apply temporarily (until April 14th).

How do you as an affected company get special funding and support from the public sector?

A number of aid measures have already been decided here - an overview and how to get the support can be found here: https://www.wko.at/service/faq-coronavirus-infos.html#heading_Kompensation

What should you do if you want to apply for short-time work? 

We recommend contacting the AMS first (preferably via eAMS account or email). In a second step, if available, you should seek discussions with the works council in order to reach the relevant agreements (“ Social partner agreement – ​​works agreement “ or, if there is no works council, “ Social partner agreement – ​​individual agreement "). These must be sent to the AMS together with the completed AMS application form (Corona). A justification for the economic difficulties is also required, but a short justification with reference to Corona and follow-up measures is sufficient.