Labor Day marked a significant moment for the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) Chairwoman Yasmin Fahimi, who made sharp criticism of the SPD’s role in the traffic light coalition. In her speech, she demanded that the Social Democrats differentiate themselves from other parties and develop stronger economic and labor policy offers.
Fahmi believes that the SPD should not engage in wage defensive battles and instead focus on giving their own answers on how to stabilize the economy and ensure good work. She criticizes the party for jumping at every proposal from the FDP and Union, such as tax-free overtime, which she believes is not feasible due to potential manipulation by employers.
The DGB boss also expressed concerns about industries moving away from Germany due to high energy costs. Fahimi warned that industries requiring a lot of energy are already facing challenges with their costs and may shift future investments to other countries with more favorable subsidy policies.
She rejected the idea of across-the-board tax cuts for companies, advocating instead for targeted support for industries facing collapse due to high energy prices in Germany. Fahimi emphasized the importance of job security in exchange for government support, as well as the need for assistance in innovation and digitalization efforts.
Overall, Fahimi’s criticism highlights the need for the SPD to clarify its stance on key economic and labor issues and offer concrete solutions to ensure Germany’s economic stability and competitiveness in the global market.
