The Confederation of German Employers' Associations declares on the draft decision of the video conference of the Federal Chancellor with the heads of government of the federal states:

Berlin, 19 January 2021: "The prolonged restrictions envisaged so far are a heavy burden for the people in our country. All reasonable and proportionate parts of the draft decision and the previous decisions are supported by us. However, they must also be effective and appropriate to the cause. In some places, one can get the impression that some people have become somewhat alienated from the reality in the companies.

We have therefore also noted with surprise the announcement of a home office regulation. Only a few days after the Federal President, the trade unions and the employers made a resolute and joint appeal to companies and employees, politicians are proposing a home office bureaucracy in a kind of substitute action that undoubtedly falls short of the social partners' action in terms of effectiveness. It remains to be seen whether those responsible realise that in doing so they are complicating or preventing future common interests within the framework of social partnership. Social partnership is always more effective than bureaucratic actionism. And the organisation of mobile forms of work is a joint design challenge for companies and employees alike. Unfocused guidelines make this process more difficult.

It is also clear that we need to develop an effective post-Corona strategy together. It is essential and necessary that companies finally see light at the end of the tunnel and have a perspective. A moratorium on burdens would be the least we could do here - but even more effective would be a genuine unleashing offensive. We need a pact for the future that provides answers to the question of how we want to do business and spark growth in the coming years. And a pact for the future that repays the debt and secures our jobs and creates them for tomorrow."