BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to fight inflation with a concerted effort by workers and employers.
“The high prices will be with us for a long time,” said the SPD politician in an interview with the “Mnchner Merkur” published on his website on Monday. “We want to coordinate with the unions and employers.” There will be a first meeting on July 4th. “The aim is for us to join hands and develop a joint plan on how we can relieve the burden on employees.”
Scholz reacted evasively to the question of whether a one-off payment from the collective bargaining partners and cuts in VAT on staple foods were planned: “We will develop what needs to be done in discussions with the social partners, not just in a newspaper interview.” He will not conduct any collective bargaining at the meeting, that is a matter for the collective bargaining partners. “But I’d like to say this: I like the recent agreements in the chemical and steel industries with such a one-off payment.”