Frankfurt am Main – With an eye on the Bundestag’s final session week and the draft 2025 federal budget, IG Metall is calling for greater courage to invest. The union emphasized that recognizing social responsibility and fending off the increasingly fierce attacks on the welfare state are crucial for the country’s social climate, in addition to creating prospects for workers.
Christiane Benner, President of IG Metall, made it clear: “Invest, invest, invest—that’s what’s needed now. In too many areas, we still see shortfalls in funding, for example in the important field of hydrogen technology. Industry and its workers need funding to ensure clear prospects for a secure future. Without industry, Germany is a poor country. But one thing must also be clear: invest in the future, but make no cuts to social programs.”
The shift in the federal budget toward a significant increase in investment is a positive signal for modernization, employment, and strengthening Germany’s position as a business location. According to the union, this, along with the rapid deployment of funds from the Special Infrastructure Fund, provides some important impetus both for long-term planning certainty and for quickly overcoming the current crisis.
The record-breaking investments, particularly in infrastructure, energy, and security, are the right move, though they still fall short in some areas: With the cuts to funding for the hydrogen ramp-up, the draft budget sends a completely wrong signal. The medium-term financial planning for the National Hydrogen Strategy is being reduced to one-third of its original amount. This hampers companies’ planning and investment decisions and harms the competitiveness of Germany as an industrial location.
Relief on energy costs cannot come soon enough: The reduction in the electricity tax and grid fees is the right move and vital for the survival of industry and its workers. IG Metall views critically the fact that, as things stand, this is not intended to apply to other sectors or to consumers.
Overall, the continued existence of the debt brake—beyond defense spending—is a problem. A proactive investment policy risks being subject to ever-stricter funding restrictions. The already problematic social measures accompanying industrial restructuring are now even more at risk.
Further information:
The IG Metall Executive Board consists of the First Chairperson, the Second Chairperson, the Chief Treasurer, as well as two other executive board members and 29 honorary board members.
The Executive Board represents IG Metall both internally and externally. It is obligated to conscientiously safeguard the union’s interests. The Executive Board is responsible for ensuring compliance with the bylaws and for implementing the resolutions of the Union Congress and the Advisory Council. In addition, after careful review, it decides on the termination of collective bargaining agreements, strike votes, and work stoppages.
Further information and press photos of Christiane Benner
