Aizat Sagymbaeva

This thesis explores the limited impact of seniority-based salary progression (SBP) in Austria’s gastronomy sector. The accompanying project maps how SBP is regulated across major sectors using collective agreement data, focusing on the lowest wage groups. Building on this, the thesis investigates institutional and structural factors that may contribute to limited wage growth in gastronomy. The analysis draws on comparative data and expert interviews to better understand how collective bargaining structures interact with workforce characteristics and sectoral conditions. By combining regulatory mapping with qualitative insights, this work aims to clarify how wage-setting mechanisms can contribute to long-term inequality, especially in sectors marked by precarity and limited upward mobility.