Apr 21, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. New collective agreements and wage hikes for the 40,000 employees and trainees in the wood and plastics processing industries in Austria will take effect on May 1, 2005, Austrian construction and timber trade union GBH. The collective agreements will be effective for two 12-month periods. The first period, beginning on May 1, 2005, will involve a 2.5% rise of the collectively agreed wages and a 2.4% rise of piece-work wages for carpenters, GBH reported. For the rest of the contract parties, collectively agreed wages will increase by 2.45% and piece-work wages will grow by 2.35%. Collectively agreed wages will grow by further 2.1% for carpenters and by 2.0% for the other parties from the beginning of the second period on May 1, 2006. Piece-work wages will rise 2.0% for all parties in the second stage of the agreement.