VIENNA, Austria — The Austrian government said Monday that ministers would forgo a month’s net salary as a sign of solidarity with those who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Millions of people are having to tighten their belts or are facing financial difficulty,” said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
“In this difficult time, we want to send a signal of solidarity,” Kurz said, explaining that the ministers’ salaries would be donated to organizations involved in the fight against COVID-19, without providing further details.
According to the latest official figures, 470 people have died in Austria from coronavirus.
The small Alpine country has a population of 8.8 million and nearly 900,000 people are working reduced hours.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Elsewhere in Europe, ministers in Bulgaria have also said they would donate some of their pay. And there are similar initiatives around the world, notably New Zealand.
Discover Israel's most beloved poet
She died more than four decades ago, but Leah Goldberg remains a magnetic and enigmatic figure: Israel’s most beloved poet, a powerful woman who lived with her mother and never married, who reinvented herself from the ashes of World War I through her magical writing.
You can screen 'The Five Houses of Leah Goldberg' June 4-11. Join The Times of Israel Community today to support our work and watch this and other outstanding documentary films in our DocuNation series.
I want to see it
I want to see it
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
