Jana Schimke, CEO of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga), has issued a warning against a “class struggle” among unions while strongly advocating for a new working time law.
Looking forward to the high-level meeting scheduled in the Chancellery, the Association expressed high expectations. “Politics must now deliver. Time is running short. We expect the coalition leaders to decisively advance the agreed-upon reforms,” Schimke told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. She considers the planned working time law particularly urgent, hoping that the meeting in the Chancellery on Wednesday will yield a “clear signal” towards introducing a weekly working hour limit before the summer break.
At the same time, she cautioned against the proposal put forward by DGB Chief Yasmin Fahimi to implement mandatory occupational pension schemes. According to Schimke, such a move would increase bureaucracy and practical operating costs for businesses, something that would not lead to growth or better employment prospects. The Dehoga CEO also expressed concerns regarding other proposals that would make labor more expensive.
“Regarding social partnership, let it be said that even a union ultimately needs secure jobs and a healthier national economy. We can achieve that through pragmatism, not through class warfare,” Schimke emphasized.
