Habeck calls for a voluntary “pension window”: the left and the DBG are outraged – “actual compulsion to work”

Created: 02/23/2022, 12:59 p.m

By: Jonas Raab

Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants to create new incentives for work beyond retirement age.

For this he gets strong opposition from the left and from the German trade union federation.

Berlin - The pension is a political long-running issue, especially the entry age.

By 2029, it is to be gradually raised from 65 to 67 years.

But is that enough in view of the shortage of skilled workers and demographic change?

"No," seems to mean Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens).

He advocates more voluntary continued work in old age - and therefore wants to "talk about something like a retirement window, not a fixed age."

In the

, Habeck explains his plan: "You should be able to work flexibly longer." That would be a double win, not only the companies would benefit: "Anyone who wants to can contribute their knowledge, their skills, their experience for longer." But the plan does not exactly meet with approval.

Regular working hours: Green Minister Habeck wants to create “retirement windows”.

According to a paper by Habeck's ministry, which is available to the German Press Agency, a framework should be created so that employees can work at least up to the standard retirement age and, if necessary, voluntarily, whoever wants to, even beyond - for example by making retirement more flexible, combined with financial incentives to work longer for those who want to.

Jan Korte, first parliamentary manager of the Left Group, means Habeck's initiative a "actual obligation to work" for everyone who can no longer live on their pension due to low wages and pension cuts.

The minister wraps the whole thing up in euphonious phrases such as voluntariness and a remedy for the shortage of skilled workers.

"If the employer's contribution to unemployment insurance is eliminated, the employment of pensioners will be one thing above all in comparison to younger employees: significantly cheaper," says Korte.

Jan Korte, First Parliamentary Secretary of the Left Group, can't do anything with Robert Habeck's pension proposal.

© Political Moments/imago

Habeck wants “retirement window”: Left-wing politician Korte thinks that is “mockery”

According to Korte, hundreds of thousands of pensioners already have to work a mini-job alongside their pension to make ends meet.

"Instead of mocking this with talk of voluntariness, Habeck should ensure that low wages are finally banned.

Incidentally, it would be the task of an economics minister to get employers, who have been complaining about the shortage of skilled workers for years, to do something for training and jobs that are suitable for the elderly.”

Anja Piel, board member of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), also openly expresses her incomprehension for Habeck's proposal: "Who does not know it from their childhood: The advice to simply remain silent if there is nothing clever to say." Habeck's proposal falls under this proviso.

DGB board member Piel criticizes Habeck's pension proposal - "he should actually know"

The minister should actually know that every employee above the statutory retirement age can continue to work if they are healthy enough, Piel continues.

“Current law does not prohibit that.

It even sets the required incentives for it.”

According to the so-called flexible pension, employees can already work longer once they have reached normal retirement age.

There are surcharges for this.

As the ministry said, Habeck's initiative is also about discussing again whether these incentives are sufficient.

In the ministry's paper, one of the tasks in the fight against the shortage of skilled workers is to increase the volume of work: "There is still untapped potential, especially among women and older people."