Jörg Dittrich, the president of the skilled trades industry, is calling on the federal government to implement much deeper savings in statutory health insurance than has been currently planned. According to reporting by the “Welt am Sonntag”, Dittrich stated to the newspaper that “halfhearted steps will not get us anywhere.” The Health Financial Commission presented savings measures totaling 40 billion euros in March, yet only 16 billion euros have been adopted to date. Dittrich insists that these proposed cuts are essential if the contributions are to be measurably reduced, arguing that profound structural interventions are now unavoidable.
The rising cost of labor is also a major concern, as supplementary labor costs are already nearing 43 percent and are trending upwards. The president of the Central Association of German Skilled Trades (ZDH) stressed the urgent need for political action to guide this percentage back towards 40 percent, stating that the labor-intensive skilled trades are suffering particularly under increasing social contributions.
While broadly praising the proposals from the Pension Commission, Dittrich also expressed positive views on the abolition of the exemption from the reduction in benefits for long-term insurance recipients. “It was a false reflex to make a general rule based on every individual case. Because of that, I support the abolition of the pension at age 63,” said Dittrich, who runs a roofers business in Dresden. However, he warned that the current set of proposals would fail to stimulate economic growth.
Dittrich expressed criticism regarding the recommended removal of mini-jobs. He stated his concern that abolishing these jobs could encourage illegal work. While he acknowledged the need to address the small group that depends exclusively on mini-jobs and subsequently requires community support, he argued that eliminating all mini-jobs would be incorrect, given that many participants are students or people with main employment seeking supplementary income.
Regarding the contentious tax bonus for skilled trade services, Dittrich’s association proposed to the Ministry of Finance that a minor threshold should be introduced and that the bonus process be handled digitally to reduce administrative costs. Additionally, he suggested eliminating legally required inspection services, such as those conducted by chimney sweeps, from the tax deductions, arguing there is no reason those expenses should be tax-deductible. Dittrich noted that the federal audit office had previously called for the abolition of the tax bonus, citing that its intended goal of combating illegal employment had not been achieved.
