Austrian police overburdened by migrant crisis, union says strike possible

The scale of the present migrant crisis is affecting Austrian police to such an extent that union representatives have raised the possibility of a strike, Kronen Zeitung reported Thursday.

The conditions brought about by the crisis have led to police working 190,000 overtime hours in September alone, continuing a trend seen in recent months, and has resulted in an increasing amount of sick leave due to mental overload.

"It really is high time that something changes quickly," said police union spokesperson Hermann Greylinger.

He said the capabilities of the police had not only been stretched, "but unfortunately also surpassed."

The union thus sanctioned "action to enforce the legitimate concerns" that had been raised, which would include personnel meetings as well as a potential strike.

"We have made a list of all the problem areas and wish to finally change something for our colleagues," Greylinger said. Endit