German employers' chief demands productivity surge amid economic decline
Steffen Kampeter, chief executive of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), has called for greater productivity from workers and improved political conditions amid Germany's economic challenges.
"We need to step up our efforts," Kampeter said Monday on ntv's Blome und Pfeffer program. He argued that Germany needs to rediscover its "drive to work," stressing that this had "nothing to do with laziness." However, he claimed the country had grown complacent after the Hartz IV labor market reforms and still believed "we are Europe's most competitive business location." His verdict: "Not even close."
Kampeter also criticized the heavy burdens on businesses. "We are one of the most expensive locations in terms of energy costs. We have extremely high bureaucratic costs and very high labor costs," he said. Germany could only sustain this if it continued to produce "the best products." Yet the automotive industry, he noted, showed that "other countries can build decent cars too."
He reserved sharp criticism for the federal government, saying that while reforms were constantly discussed, there was a "clear failure to act." Politicians, he argued, must create better conditions. "We can't set tax policy. We can only offer good products and good services," he said. The rest, he insisted, was the government's responsibility.
