The 16th Bundestag of the GÖD-Bundesheergewerkschaft on April 8th and 9th, 2026 in Vienna marked a personnel and strategic decision for the representation of civilian and military employees in the Austrian Armed Forces.
At the event, attended by 80 top officials from across Austria, the incumbent chairman, Walter Hirsch, was unanimously re-elected. His deputy, Peter Schrottwieser, also received the delegates' confidence for another five-year term. The re-election is seen as a sign of continuity during a period in which the Austrian Armed Forces are facing massive structural changes and a significant increase in funding.
A central theme of the Bundestag was the demand for comprehensive personnel modernization. In his assessment, Hirsch referred to the historically developed defense budget, but cautioned that the financial resources must be consistently used to eliminate the deficits created by years of austerity measures. In addition to material upgrades, the union called for an urgent increase in personnel levels. The goal, they argued, is to increase the attractiveness of military service and to meet long-term personnel needs in order to guarantee the operational readiness of national defense in light of the changing security situation in Europe.
Regarding the structure of conscription, the GÖD-Bundesheerwerk (Austrian Armed Forces Union) has clearly positioned itself in favor of the "Austria PLUS" model. This expert concept proposes extending basic military service to eight months plus two months for specializations, while civilian service would be set at a minimum of 12 months. The union representatives see this model as the only way to sustainably improve the training level of the troops and strengthen the militia component of the Austrian Armed Forces. This stance is likely to increase the pressure on the political leadership to bring the debate on reforming the conscription model to a swift conclusion.
In addition to structural demands, the role of social partnership was a central focus of the discussions. Officials emphasized the importance of stable working conditions and fair pay systems within the national defense sector. Over the next five years, the new federal leadership intends to pay closer attention to ensuring that the modernization of the armed forces does not come at the expense of the social security of its personnel. With the conclusion of the Bundestag (federal parliament), the union is now fully staffed to conduct the upcoming negotiations with the Ministry of Defense and the federal government regarding service and pay regulations.