“New political will” – CDU Economic Council appeals to Bas’s successor

The CDU Economic Council has called on the new Labor Minister Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) to change course in the department that was previously led by the resigned SPD leader Bärbel Bas. “The new appointment will hopefully bring new political will to shape things,” said General Secretary Wolfgang Steiger to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.

Bas' resignation deserves respect given the personal circumstances, said Steiger. “At the same time, the change at the top of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs offers the opportunity to bring new movement into the recently deadlocked disputes over reform and social policy.”

“The new appointment of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs now offers the opportunity to place the pension reform on a new basis for cooperation within the coalition,” continued Steiger. “It must be pushed forward at full speed to prevent a further drastic increase in contributions.”

“The reform of the Working Hours Act is no less urgent,” said the CDU economic wing representative. “The change from daily to weekly maximum working hours as the focus promised in the coalition agreement is long overdue,” added Steiger. “The previous draft from the Ministry of Labor has actually slowed down the necessary flexibility by extensively binding it to collective agreements and would have created a new bureaucratic monster with the obligation to record working hours,” Steiger called for a correction to the old plans under Minister Bas.

The previous Federal Labor Minister and SPD co-leader Bas announced her resignation on Monday. She justified the step with the sadness after the death of her stepdaughter, but also with “public attacks” from her coalition partner Union. Bas' designated successor in the ministry is the former Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Schweitzer.