PRESS STATEMENT The call to “discuss retirement at age 70” is irresponsible

“The demand made by Gesamtmetall President Stefan Wolf is simply irresponsible and further evidence of ignorance toward the workforce’s concerns about their social future. At a time when the pandemic and the transformation of the economy are putting jobs at serious risk, the top representative of metal industry employers has nothing better to do than stoke people’s fears with increasingly absurd demands. We know that even today, a large proportion of workers in the metal and electrical industries do not reach the current retirement age. And for many, retiring before the standard retirement age means reduced pension benefits. A further increase in the retirement age would significantly exacerbate the problem. Retirement at 70 does not mean more older workers in the workforce, but rather more retirees with reduced pensions! I don’t know what Mr. Wolf is thinking, but one thing is certain: social responsibility and social partnership look different.”

Further information and press photos of Dr. Hans-Jürgen Urban