Preventing avoidable damage to our economy

The President of the Employers' Association, Mr. Kramer, comments on the upcoming Corona Summit of the Minister Presidents with the Chancellor:

We must not stop running because we are afraid of falling - prevent avoidable damage to our national economy

The infection figures in Germany are rising again and the Corona pandemic continues to have our country firmly in its grip. Germany has done many things right in dealing with the pandemic. With care and a sense of proportion, not with fear and scaremongering - and that is how it must remain, with the aim of not overburdening the healthcare system.

Before any avoidable economic damage is done, we should start where the dangers arise. Specifically, this means minimizing socializing that leads to physical proximity in public. This includes parties and events, wedding receptions and other large parties. Appropriate premises should not be allowed to be made available. Additionally, enforce a widespread mask requirement nationwide - this may be a nuisance, but it does no harm to the national economy. The same goes for bringing forward curfew hours, which should limit excessive socializing without, however, restricting dining out. There is an urgent need to keep schools and daycare centers open as long as possible with coordinated and uniform hygiene concepts so that parents can continue to pursue their professional activities - and children do not suffer educational breaks and are restricted in their development.

Companies in Germany bear a great responsibility for their employees. For us, safety and health at work are high goods - also in our own interest. Exemplary hygiene concepts have been developed in production and service companies. Especially in hotels and restaurants with sophisticated hygiene concepts, there are virtually no sources of infection. Since the Corona pandemic, safety and health in the workplace have become one of the most important factors in the ability of companies to do business - and thus also a supporting pillar of the robustness of society as a whole. This makes it all the more important to maintain our working environment in its entirety.

For this reason, we have also cancelled our German Employers' Day, which was to have taken place in Berlin at the end of November this year, and scheduled it for early summer next year. Anything else would be irresponsible in these times with up to 1,800 participants and guests.