It's my party and I cry if I want to.

The Austrian Labor Union (ÖGB) is crumbling, the chances for a left government in autumn is shrinking. Union president Hundstorfer should step down - and take all his old boy friends with him.

These days, my party gives me lots of reasons to cry. And cry and cry. Some months ago, the union-owned bank BAWAG stumbled over the crash of the US investment speculator Refco. It was an incredible humiliation when the union - one of the few big bastions of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) - had to beg the conservative banks and the conservative government to step in and save not only the bank but also the union from ruin.

Corruption and Incompetence
I don't shed a tear for Verzetnisch, the back-then president of the union who had to step down after the scandal got public. The union leadership held on to an incompetent and corrupt bank management, and even profited themselves (Verzetnitsch had his downtown-penthouse right next to the manager's). The new president, Rudi Hundstorfer promised reform. Instead, he tried to cover up again and thought it would be enough to blame Verzetnitsch. Turns out that there are much more open debts, and that Hundstorfer himself knew of the finance scandal and even signed relevant papers.

The new crisis management? Denial. He wasn't present at that meeting, or thought he would sign something else.

Cover-up
The idiocy and corruption of the old and new leadership is outrageous. To try and cover up his knowledge of the scandal is the most stupid thing Hundstorfer could have possibly done. Who does he think he's dealing with? That this wouldn't come out? That the conservatives would leave him be?

6 years ago, going into opposition should have been the sign for both the party and the union to reorganize and regain their strength. Now this scandal is destroying our chance to win the elections this autumn.

Against the wall
Some months ago, I wouldn't believed that something as big and mighty as a union could ever shatter. Now I now it can. And it doesn't even need a Margaret Thatcher. The old and the current leadership are just doing fine.

Hundstorfer should step down today, and he should take his whole crew of old boys with him. If he has feeling of responsibility for the union, the party and our values, that is.