Protection screen for Germany's industry: Minister of Labor raises the alarm!

Protection screen for Germany's industry: Minister of Labor raises the alarm!

Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD) is vigorously committed to stopping the decay of entire branches of industry in the impending economic crisis and the associated loss of tens of thousands of jobs in Germany. "It cannot be that today the employees have to pay the colliery for yesterday's management errors," said Heil in a dpa video interview in Berlin. In view of the rapidly increasing short worker numbers, which in September 2024 were around 268,000 - an increase of 76 percent compared to the previous year - the government decided to extend the opportunity to short -work to up to 24 months. Companies, especially in mechanical engineering, are increasingly under pressure and are increasingly sending their employees into short -time work.

strategies for saving the industry

Heil sees the need to revitalize the industrial basis of Germany and the public infrastructure in order to keep up with international competitors such as China and the USA. In recent years, it has been observed that these countries invest strongly in their future industries. "If we look at how the base disappears in Germany, while a robust industrial policy is being done in the United States, we would be really crazy in Europe if we reveal our industrial basis," the minister confirmed. The situation in the steel industry is particularly critical, where the risk of dumping steel is from China.

Heil demands state -supported measures for companies in difficulties and emphasizes the importance of common solutions between companies and employees in order to avoid allegations due to operational terms. State support should be linked to clear conditions in order not to promote outdated company concepts. This directly addresses the current situation in German industry that is concerned about its competitiveness, while in other countries there are already active measures to protect and strengthen their industries. As Kreiszeitung demands a strong commitment of the state to secure Germany as a strong business location, while Börsennews provides further details on the planned measures and the increasing unemployment number.