Jörg Dittrich, president of the Central Association of the German Crafts Union, has called for the older generation to make more concessions to younger workers as part of the upcoming pension reform. “The larger generation of older people will have to accept that they also have to contribute, for example by working longer” he told the “Rheinische Post”. He added that raising all pensions in line with wage increases is expected to become unsustainable over the long term, and that proposals allowing higher pensions to rise more slowly than lower ones should be considered. Dittrich emphasized that a pension reform must be fair across generations and take into account both the retirees and those who finance the system.
He also warned that the reform of statutory health insurance (GKV) will require sacrifices from insured individuals. “If we want to reduce costs, everyone must help, including the insured” he said. He foresees that in the GKV, those with strong financial positions will ultimately bear a larger share of the burden. In addition, he argued that smaller and middle‑income earners should receive tax relief as part of a comprehensive reform package. Dittrich criticized the proposal to offset costs by raising the top income‑tax rate: “Taxation is the central business tax for most craft companies, so many firms would face higher taxes. In the current climate that would send a fatal signal”.
Finally, Dittrich urged the rapid legal implementation of the key points of the heating law reform. “Many people are waiting for clear legal guidelines on future subsidies, but there is currently only an outline” he said. “Because of this lack of clarity, the reform must now be quickly turned into law”.