An alliance of alpine clubs, mountaineering schools and the mountain sports guide association is calling on the next federal government to safeguard the independence of domestic mountain sports guides.
There are around 5.000 mountain sports guides in Austria who lead locals and guests safely through alpine terrain. But now a lot is at stake: social insurance increasingly classifies this professional group as dependent. This happens when they offer their services through alpine clubs, alpine schools, tour operators, hotels or avalanche commissions.
The negative consequences of this regulation include increased bureaucracy and significant price increases at the expense of guests. If recreational athletes then decide to go out without a mountain guide, the risk of accidents for everyone in the mountains increases. For cost reasons, alpine operators will also increasingly move their offers to other Alpine countries.
An international alliance is calling on the next federal government to safeguard the independence of domestic mountain sports guides.
Austria's mountain sports guides enable locals and guests to have unique alpine experiences and ensure their safety in the mountains. This professional group includes mountain and ski guides, mountain hiking guides, canyoning guides and sport climbing instructors.
These mountain sports guides, who traditionally mostly work as self-employed persons, have been facing a challenge since the Social Insurance Allocation Act came into force in 2017: As soon as they offer their know-how through alpine clubs, alpine schools, tour operators, hotels, avalanche commissions or similar cooperation partners, they are increasingly classified by the social insurance as dependent, even years retroactively.
"Obstacles are being placed in our way"
This classification under social security law has serious consequences for mountain sports guides, their cooperation partners and their customers. "Alpine clubs and mountaineering schools work closely with mountain sports guides in their training programs, courses, tours and tourist offers. However, financial and administrative obstacles are being put in our way. These must be removed urgently," says Clemens Matt, Secretary General of the Austrian Alpine Association, describing the situation.
demand to the next federal government
An international alliance consisting of the Austrian Alpine Association, the Association of Austrian Mountain and Ski Guides, the Tyrolean Mountain Sports Guide Association, the DAV Summit Club (mountaineering school of the German Alpine Association), the Austrian Friends of Nature, the tour operator ASI Reisen and the Dutch Climbing and Mountain Sports Association is now warning of drastic consequences.
The organisations are calling on the next federal government to hold joint discussions to create a legal regulation that is appropriate for the reality of the mountain sports guide industry and to safeguard the independence of domestic mountain sports guides.
"There is a need for clarification in social security law, according to which mountain sports guides who act as self-employed persons can be legally classified as self-employed and do not have to fear any contrary classification by the authorities," says Michael Rosendorfer, Managing Director of the Tyrolean Mountain Sports Guides Association, summing up the common concern.
Safety on the mountain at risk
"The current regulation affects the economic planning security for mountain sports guides. The result: a price increase of around 30 percent at the expense of the guests," explains ASI Reisen Managing Director Ambros Gasser, whose company cooperates with mountain sports guides on numerous tourist hiking trips in Austria.
This would entail the risk that inexperienced people would venture into the mountains without a mountain sports guide for cost reasons. There are also warnings about an increasing risk of alpine accidents if, due to rising prices, people have to rely more on guides from abroad who are often less familiar with the area. The regulation does not apply to these guides or only applies to a limited extent.
Year after year we offer a wide range of mountain and hiking trips in Austria. For cost reasons, we will probably have to hire foreign guides more often. They are often not as familiar with the area as Austrian mountain sports guides.
Manfred Lorenz from the DAV Summit Club
Loss of tourism value creation in Austria
The regulation in question completely ignores the real working conditions of mountain sports guides and all organizations that have to employ them for the short period of time they are employed. Small-scale alpine clubs in particular are overwhelmed by the administration of complex payroll accounting for daily employment contracts.
If the current practice is continued, there is also a justified fear that alpine clubs and alpine event organisers will even relocate their activities entirely abroad, to the detriment of tourism value creation in Austria.
"We have been working with Austrian mountain guides on our courses and tours for more than 50 years. To our complete satisfaction. But now we are increasingly forced to relocate our activities to other Alpine countries," says Robin Baks, director of the Dutch Climbing and Mountaineering Association, describing the situation.
Great responsibility and liability risk remain
The alliance of alpine clubs and mountaineering schools points out numerous reasons that justify classifying mountain sports guides as self-employed under social security law: A mountain sports guide has a great deal of responsibility and is personally liable for those he guides - up to and including criminal liability in the event of an accident. His work is defined by a high degree of personal responsibility, independence and freedom of decision..
Even if a mountain sports guide leads guests from an alpine school or an alpine club during a week of touring, he is in no way working as an employee, especially since this alone cannot be reconciled with the Working Hours Act.
A trial that has been ongoing since May online petition under the title “Secure the independence of local mountain sports guides!” already has around 10.000 signatures.
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Credits: Cover image NKBV, text Austrian Alpine Club