Berlin/Hanover/Frankfurt am Main – In light of the still unresolved budget crisis, the DGB, IG Metall, and IGBCE are warning of an exodus of industry and the loss of thousands of jobs. They are calling on federal and state policymakers to quickly develop viable solutions to the challenges posed by the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court. In the short term, they say, it must be ensured that essential public investments and funding instruments for private investment in the green transition and other future technologies remain available in 2024. Furthermore, the DGB,
IG Metall, and IGBCE are calling for competitive electricity prices for energy-intensive industries, as well as a multi-year, reliable, and clearly communicated plan for ramping up public investment and its swift implementation. They warn that the current uncertainty in the economy is dangerous: Long-term, risky investments that companies must make now are incompatible with constant changes to regulations due to new political mandates.
Yasmin Fahimi, Chairwoman of the DGB: “ The rulingby the Federal Constitutional Court must not beused as an excuse to simply shelve the important tasks of renewing our infrastructure and securing industrial value creation. And now is certainly not the time for partisan squabbling. Securing business locations, preserving value chains, and stepping up climate protection are, above all, in the interest of future generations. A swift and constitutionally sound solution to ensure these century-long tasks is the creation of a special fund enshrined in the Basic Law to finally remove the brakes on our country’s renewal. To achieve this, all responsible democrats must now join forces. We have long been calling for decisive measures to lower energy costs. An additional federal subsidy for grid fees is therefore a must for all consumers.”
Jürgen Kerner, Second Chair of IG Metall: “Strategic investment decisions for the coming decades are being made right now. It is now being decided whether Germany will remain a strong industrial nation with good jobs. For this to succeed, we need a government capable of taking action that invests in the future. The green transition is the largest transformation of our industry imaginable. It doesn’t come for free. We call on all political forces—and explicitly the CDU as the largest opposition party—to take responsibility and ensure the financing of the transition. Otherwise, investments in the future will pass us by, and thousands of well-paid jobs will be lost. The situation is too serious for partisan posturing.”
Michael Vassiliadis, Chairman of the IGBCE: “Some still seem not to have understood what is at stake: It is nothing less than the future of large parts of German industry—and thus our prosperity. We are in the midst of an unprecedented challenge—the climate-just transformation. It must be kickstarted with massive public investment incentives, because the market alone will not get the job done. We are entering an era of active government. Combining public funds with private investment must now be the order of the day. Other countries have long since realized this and are already outpacing us. If we do not invest boldly in modernization now, we will leave future generations with a country in a state of disrepair.”
