Rudolf Hundstorfer was born on 19 September 1951 in Vienna and started his trade union activities as youth spokesman in the administration of the City of Vienna. As from 1975, Mr. Hundstorfer was responsible for youth affairs in the Union of Municipal Employees (Gewerkschaft der Gemeindebediensteten - GdG) where he became expert on organisational questions in 1983 before being elected secretary general and, in 1998, chairman of the "Landesgruppe Wien" (Vienna's faction at the GdG). In 2001, he was elected executive chairman of the GdG. Mr. Hundstorfer served as chairman of the Social Democratic Trade Unionists (Fraktion Sozialdemokratischer GewerkschafterInnen - FSG) from 2003 to 2006 and was elected chairman of the GdG until May 2007. Rudolf Hundstorfer was member of Vienna's Provincial Diet and City Council from 1990 to 2007 and first chairman of Vienna's City Council from 1995 to 2007.

In 2003, Rudolf Hundstorfer was elected vice president of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund - ÖGB). In 2006, he followed Fritz Verzetnitsch as executive president of the ÖGB and became its president as well as member of the executive committee in 2007 with a key responsibility for social affairs.

On 2 December 2008, Rudolf Hundstorfer was sworn in as Minister of Social Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Austria. Since February 1st 2009 he has also been responsible for Labour Affairs. Rudolf Hundstorfer is married and has three children.