German trade union Gesamtmetall’s president, Stefan Wolf, has called for a swift economic turn in the country after the Union’s victory in the federal election. According to Wolf, the next government’s top priority should be to cap social insurance contributions at 40 percent, a goal he considers an “absolute core task.” To achieve this, he advocates for a comprehensive reform, similar to the Agenda 2010, which would involve, among other things, the merger of more statutory health insurance funds and the standardization of their accounting systems, resulting in significant cost savings.
Wolf also demands a reform of the working hours law and the freedom to negotiate working hours. He believes the new government should ensure that working hour guidelines can be freely negotiated by employers and employees, replacing the fixed eight-hour day with a weekly upper limit, to be determined by the two parties.
Regarding retirement, Wolf suggests the abolition of the fixed retirement age and the introduction of a generous tax incentive for those who continue working beyond the age of 67. He proposes that the first 2,000 euros of a monthly income should be completely tax-free.
Notably, the union chief warns against an increase in the minimum wage to 15 euros per hour, stating that it would trigger a massive inflation, lead to job losses and insolvencies, particularly in the gastronomy and retail sectors. Wolf argues that a higher minimum wage would “destroy our culture” and make it unaffordable for many people, using the example of a 38-euro Rostbraten with Sauerkraut in a restaurant, which could rise to over 40 euros if the minimum wage increases.