“We can’t afford it”
Habeck: “Too much strike for less and less work”
March 13, 2024, 8:50 p.m
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Hundreds of thousands of job vacancies and unions are fighting for fewer working hours. Economics Minister Habeck increasingly lacks understanding for this. The problem will also get worse in the future.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has criticized the many strikes in Germany. “In any case, at the moment there is a bit too much striking or advertising for less and less work,” said the Economics Minister in Berlin. “And we really can’t afford that at the moment.” Germany’s economy is just stagnating. At the same time, 700,000 vacancies are reported, possibly even up to two million.
Habeck emphasized that this problem will become even worse as economic growth increases and society ages. The volume of all working hours is not enough. That’s why, for example, there is a need for financial incentives for older people to work longer if they want to.
Habeck did not mention any specific collective bargaining conflicts. However, he recently made it clear in the “Tagesspiegel” that he no longer had any understanding for the ongoing tariff dispute between the GDL and Deutsche Bahn. The conflict would place a heavy burden on the German economy, he emphasized and warned the conflict partners to come to an agreement as quickly as possible.
It’s not just rail transport that’s currently on strike. Recently, more than 19,000 Lufthansa flight attendants went on strike for pay increases for the fifth time. Air travel restrictions are expected to continue on Thursday and Friday as the Verdi union has announced a strike by security staff at several German airports. It is estimated that more than 200,000 passengers will be affected by the restrictions this week.