The construction industry’s leading association, the Hauptgeschäftsführer des Bauindustrieverbands HDB, has launched a sharp rebuke of recent statements made by Labour Minister Bärbel Bas of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Tim-Oliver Müller, the HDB’s CEO, voiced concern that Bas’s rhetoric risks exacerbating divisions between employers and employees, undermining the stability necessary for economic and social progress.
While acknowledging that differing opinions are inevitable, Müller criticized the Minister’s apparent strategy of positioning employers and employees as opposing forces in a shared struggle. He argued that such divisive language is particularly damaging at a time when societal pressures are mounting and fundamental principles are being contested. Instead of fostering cooperation, this approach, he warned, threatens to derail Germany’s national direction.
Müller stressed the necessity for policymakers to prioritize stability and emphasize shared objectives, not engineered conflict. He underscored the interdependence of labour and the economy, employers and skilled workers, highlighting their mutual reliance for sustainable growth, social security and overall prosperity. “Without one, the other is nothing” he stated, emphasizing that eroding trust and creating artificial adversaries will ultimately impede Germany’s ability to navigate complex challenges and achieve lasting societal benefit. The criticism suggests a growing unease within influential business sectors regarding the current government’s approach to labour relations and its potential impact on economic confidence.