Crafts: Central Association expects the cost of services to continue to rise

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Tools: The Central Association of German Crafts speaks of 250,000 missing skilled workers

Photo: Wolfgang Cezanne / imago images/CHROMORANGE

In the new year, Germans must expect prices for craftsmen's services to continue to rise.

»Because it's not just the material and energy costs that are increasing for us.

We have increasing health insurance, nursing care insurance, professional association contributions," said the new President of the Central Association of German Crafts (ZDH), Jörg Dittrich, the "Bild am Sonntag".

"And in the end, the state adds 19 percent VAT on top of that." Dittrich took over the top office at the ZDH at the turn of the year.

According to Dittrich, the result is: "The gap between what the craftsman actually earns and what the hour costs the customer is getting bigger and bigger." Politicians must take countermeasures here.

"We have to be careful that handicraft services do not become unaffordable for large parts of the population," Dittrich continued.

"We're just getting closer to that limit." A situation is looming in which, for example, some people can no longer afford to visit the hairdresser.

»With seeing eyes in an extreme situation of shortage«

The new president of the trades is also concerned about the shortage of skilled workers: the trades are currently lacking 250,000 skilled workers, he said - "and the number is increasing every day, because the baby boomers are now reaching retirement age here too." do: "We are running into an extreme situation of shortages with our eyes wide open." Dittrich criticized that the dual vocational training is "systematically worse off and not given equal support", although it is at least as good as the university.

Dittrich called for more help from the state.

“I expect more support from politicians: visas have to be issued more quickly and anyone who is needed here should be given a permanent right of residence without the high bureaucratic hurdles they are currently facing,” he said.

Immigration is “not about finding the perfectly trained electronics technician for building system integration in Vietnam, but about young people who are willing to learn a trade in Germany and work here”.

mbo/AFP