The leader of Germany’s largest trade union federation, the DGB, Yasmin Fahimi, has issued a stark warning against a year of lost ground for workers, criticizing what she terms a relentless focus on eroding social protections that sidelines employee interests and undermines genuine economic growth. Speaking to the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, Fahimi condemned the increasingly frequent calls for cuts to social benefits, originating from both employer groups and the Chancellery, arguing they are counterproductive and ultimately destabilizing.
Fahimi specifically refuted claims that measures like pressuring employees to work while ill or delaying retirement would stimulate economic activity. “Sending sick people to work or demanding later retirement doesn’t generate a single new order in this country” she asserted. She characterized the consistent prioritization of social austerity over policies focused on growth and innovation as a recipe for escalating social unrest.
Expressing concern over a widening social divide, Fahimi stated the current trajectory poses a significant threat to social cohesion. She cautioned that continuing down this path of perceived “social dismantling” would further fuel public discontent and potentially strengthen the appeal of the right-wing populist AfD party. “We must urgently end toxic debates like this one about dismantling social provisions and do everything to secure our location and generate growth. Otherwise, we will find it difficult to contain the AfD” she warned.
Fahimi concluded by urging the governing coalition to avoid a “lost year” for workers in 2026, implying a failure to address fundamental economic concerns and safeguard worker rights risks deepening societal fault lines and contributing to political polarization. Her remarks represent a direct challenge to the government’s current approach and a plea for a shift towards policies that prioritize sustainable growth alongside the protection of social welfare.