Fritz Verzetnitsch

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Fritz Verzetnitsch (22 May 1945 – 18 July 2024) was an Austrian trade union leader. Born in Vienna, he trained as a pipe fitter and joined the Union of Metal, Mining and Energy in 1961. He became active in the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) youth and, from 1963, led its Vienna region. He began working full-time for the ÖGB in 1970 and became the ÖGB’s general secretary in 1983. In 1986 he entered politics as a Social Democratic Party member of Austria’s National Council, and in 1987 he was elected president of the ÖGB, a position he held until 2006. From 1993 to 2003 he also served as president of the European Trade Union Confederation.

In 2000, he secretly used the ÖGB’s strike fund to guarantee the debts of the BAWAG bank. The issue became public in 2006, leading to his resignation from all positions. Verzetnitsch died on 18 July 2024, aged 79.