The Party of Labour of Austria [German: Partei der Arbeit Österreichs, PdA] was founded on October 12, 2013 in Vienna. It emerged from a longer process within the Austrian workers’ movement, including various theoretical, strategic, organisational, structural and practical steps.
In 2005 the Communist Initiative [Kommunistische Initiative, KI] was founded and served as a collective movement comprising the Marxist-Leninist forces that could no longer be active in the so-called Communist Party of Austria [Kommunistische Partei Österreichs, KPÖ] due to its revisionist and postmodern development and its membership in the “Party of the European Left”. Since then many previously unorganised people and people from other organisations, including former social-democrats, had been drawn towards the KI. At the same time the organisation developed close coöperation with the Communist Youth of Austria [KJÖ], the Communist Students’ Association [KSV] as well as migrant and minority organisations. In 2009 the Communist Trade Union Initiative – International [Kommunistische Gewerkschaftsinitiative – International, KOMintern] was founded on initiative of the KI and elected into the Chamber of Labour, the official representative body of Austrian employees. Based on these positive developments people from the mentioned organisations have initiated concrete steps towards the construction of a new revolutionary party, firmly grounded on Marxism-Leninism, class struggle, proletarian internationalism and anti-imperialism; a party that takes up and takes forward the best traditions of the Austrian workers’ movement, of the Austrian anti-fascist and national liberation struggle, of scientific and revolutionary socialism – this party would be the Party of Labour of Austria, PdA.
In February 2013 the PdA was officially registered at the Austrian interior ministry. In almost all regions of Austria local and regional committees had been established which were building the foundation for the organisations of the party. Outlines of the foundation document, the draft of a party programme and the party constitution have been worked out and discussed. A provisional Central Committee arranged the first party congress, which took place on October 12, 2013.
At this congress the delegates elected Otto Bruckner as party chairman and Selma Schacht and Tibor Zenker as his deputies. The congress discussed and passed the programmatic principles and the party constitution. In the latter it says: “The PdA is a revolutionary party of the Austrian working class and the popular strata that are oppressed by capitalism and imperialism. The PdA advocates and defends the interests of the working population. The PdA strives for the overthrow of capitalism, for the construction of socialism and the realization of a classless society. The PdA takes a stand for peace, democracy, social and ecological progress, and the right of national self-determination.”
