Vienna  - Austrian political parties introduced 50 social and welfare bills worth around two billion euros (2.8 billion dollars) in parliament on Friday, in order to sway voters ahead of the September 28 general elections.

Most of the bills were initiated by Austria's ruling Social Democratic Party (SPOe), in a bid to sharpen its social profile.

Werner Faymann, the party's new leader, has proposed an anti- inflation programme consisting of raising several government subsidies, including home care for patients and family support, as well as a bill on retirement payments for manual labourers and a cut of sales tax on food.

The SPOe also seeks to make education at public universities free.

The left-wing Greens and the BZOe joined in an unlikely coalition on Friday to propose a bill on paternity leave.

Parties are trying to pass the bills on September 24, four days before the elections. So far, the social democratic proposals have the biggest support.

The conservative People's Party (OeVP), the SPOe's junior coalition partner in government, has come under pressure by the social democratic proposals, and eventually agreed to support some of the bills.

The OeVP's leader, Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer, has fallen behind the SPOe in poll ratings since he called for early elections in July.

According to a poll published by the Oesterreich newspaper on Friday, 28 per cent of voters favour the social democrats, followed by 27 who support the conservatives. Right-wing parties FPOe and BZOe are predicted to win 16 and six per cent, respectively.

The Greens currently stand at 12 per cent, according to Oesterreich.

The Liberal Forum (LIF) is predicted to pass the four-per-cent minimum of necessary votes to rejoin the parliament for the first time since 1999. (dpa)