SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf has questioned the plan to abolish the tax-free pension available after 45 years of contributions. Speaking to the Funke Media Group newspapers in their Friday editions, Klüssendorf stated, “I have serious reservations about simply scrapping the pension after 45 contribution years – and large parts of the Social Democrats share this view.” While acknowledging the fiscal costs of the system, he insisted that the coalition must find “a clever answer” this autumn to ensure the continued acceptance of the entire retirement system.
According to the SPD leader, the recommendations put forward by the Old Age Security Commission are not set in stone. Klüssendorf stressed that “the Bundestag is not a rubber-stamp parliament, but the elected representation of the population.” He added that there is a strong expectation, both among the general public and the prime ministers of the two coalition partners, that important policies need further revision.
Klüssendorf also cast doubt on the requirement for mandated sick notes starting from the very first day of illness. He argued that enforcing mandatory medical documentation from the initial day of absence is “not effective.” The SPD had only agreed to this measure in the coalition committee as a means to prevent the Union’s demand for waiting periods. The SPD General Secretary called this a compromise whose impact should be re-evaluated against extensive, critical feedback. He cautioned that this policy should not lead to treating employees “with such mistrust.”
