Jörg Dittrich, President of the Central Association of German Crafts, has called for the older generation to make greater concessions to younger people in the upcoming pension reform.
He told the “Rheinische Post” that the older cohort will have to accept that they must also contribute – for instance by extending their working lives. “Raising all pensions in line with wage increases will probably not be sustainable in the long term” Dittrich said, referring to proposals that higher pensions should rise more slowly than lower ones. “It is essential that a pension reform is designed in a generation‑fair way and that it looks after both benefit recipients and those who finance it” he added.
Regarding the reform of statutory health insurance (GKV), Dittrich stressed that contributors would need to make compromises. “If we want to cut costs, everyone must contribute, including the insured” he said. “In the GKV, those with heavier shoulders will likely end up carrying more in the future”. He also called for tax relief for small and medium‑income groups as part of a comprehensive reform package.
Dittrich criticized the proposal to counter‑finance the reforms by raising the top tax rate. “Income tax is the main corporate tax for most crafts businesses; many would be heavily burdened. That would send a fatal signal in these times” he warned.
Finally, he urged the swift legislative implementation of key points for the heating law reform. “Many are waiting for clear legal provisions and certainty about which subsidies will be available. That clarity is missing now because only the outline of a reform exists. Therefore, these points must be turned into law as quickly as possible” he said.
