Germany's coalition leaders meet unions over labor law reforms

The head of Germany's hotel and restaurant association, Jana Schimke, warned that upcoming negotiations could turn into a "class struggle" if proposed labour reforms are not handled pragmatically. She urged the Chancellor’s office to deliver a clear signal for a new weekly working‑time law before the summer break and criticised the German trade union federation’s plan for a mandatory occupational pension, saying it would raise costs without boosting growth.

At the same meeting, Left party Bundestag group chair Heidi Reichinnek called on unions not to become a "figurehead" for austerity measures. She hoped the talks would signal that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s planned cuts, especially in health‑sector funding, would not be imposed without broader social consensus. Both speakers emphasized the need for concrete reforms rather than costly, bureaucratic proposals.

The meeting, held at the Kanzleramt on Wednesday, gathered the coalition’s top leaders, business representatives and union delegates to discuss the government's broader reform package, including changes to working hours and social‑policy spending.