Xmas cheer makes Austrians sour

Workers warn too much Christmas kitsch can cause aggression

The countdown to Christmas has only just begun, but thousands of Austrian shop assistants say they are already sick of the sound of it.

They say the strains of piped Christmas carols cause them "psychological terror", and are demanding that their employers pipe down.

Ironically, many workers say the worst offender is Silent Night, composed 185 years ago by an Austrian pastor.

They are demanding stores limit the hours they play carols.

"By the time Christmas comes around there are large scores of abused shop workers who hate the very idea of it," said Gottfried Rieser, spokesman for the Austrian Trade Union Federation.

Carol quota

"This is psychological terror for shop workers. I know personally of cases where people have suffered psychological problems in the period leading up to Christmas and become aggressive and confrontational," said Mr Reiser.

At first shop workers had considered trying to take legal action against offending stores, but union lawyers found there was little legal basis for such a challenge.

They are now asking employers to adopt a voluntary code of practice whereby piped Christmas tunes are limited to only an hour or so per day.

The Austrian Union of Private Employees - which represents 100,000 workers - says it has received complaints from members across Austria.

"This problem is causing widespread dissatisfaction and discontent," spokesman Martin Panholzer told BBC News Online.

"Our workers really want to bring this to national attention."