Ahead of the coalition committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, employer groups are pressuring Federal Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) to accelerate reform efforts, warning that any delay could lead to another “misstep”.
Steffen Kampeter, the CEO of the Federal Association of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), told the newspaper “Bild” that Minister Bas must now make a decision rather than continue to delay. He emphasized that Germany requires a concrete long-term retirement plan. Kampeter argued that any effort to reduce federal subsidies while simultaneously increasing required contributions would result in lower net incomes and higher labor costs-a move he considered anything but relief. He stressed that Bas needs to quickly present a draft law to stabilize pension financing “without making labor more expensive”.
Furthermore, Kampeter urged Bas to immediately begin preparations for the planned social state reform, involving employers and unions. “The time for words is over; the proposals are on the table” he stated. He warned that a “further political misstep” such as the failed relief premium, must be avoided.
The BDA chief asserted that the announced reform laws must now move quickly into the Cabinet. He specifically demanded swift implementation of the coalition agreements, calling for legally secure flexible working hours rather than “unnecessary time-clock bureaucracy”. Kampeter added that the European Court of Justice does not mandate minute-by-minute recording and warns that adding excessive bureaucracy would impede “flexible work” and “jeopardize jobs”.
