"We need more flexibility": Former Labor Minister Müntefering calls Reiche's proposal "blanket nonsense"

Katherina Reiche wants Germans to work more and longer. Franz Müntefering welcomes the discussion on this topic. However, the former Vice Chancellor finds the minister's statement too short-sighted. He suggests finding more individualized rules.

Former Federal Labor Minister Franz Müntefering of the SPD rejects the demand for more and longer working hours as too sweeping, but welcomes the public debate on this issue. Müntefering called Economics Minister Katherina Reiche's statements in an interview with the "Tagesspiegel" newspaper "sweeping nonsense."

"That's too general for me; it depends on each individual," Müntefering said. People today enter the workforce later than in his time, live longer, and stay healthy longer. "That's why we introduced retirement at 67 in 2006." He cautioned that this could possibly be amended. "A debate about longer working hours is definitely worthwhile," said the former Vice Chancellor. "We should discuss more flexible transitions into retirement. It's important to talk about it. This debate is not immoral, but essential."

When it comes to calls for more and longer working hours, "generalizations fall short," said Müntefering: "People are different, have different talents and abilities, and vary in their health... Some can no longer work at 45 or 60, while others still want to work at 63, 65, or 70."

It's "no coincidence that more and more people want to work beyond the statutory retirement age," Müntefering said. "Today, 15 to 20 percent of people of retirement age want to work longer. More and more employees and civil servants want to decide for themselves how long they work beyond the age of 65 or 66."

Müntefering calls for more flexibility

In addition, "more and more entrepreneurs want to retain employees longer or even hire older employees, raving about their skills and experience." He continued: "My prediction is: We won't be able to deal with this as sloppily as before. We need more flexibility to respond to more individual needs."

Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche caused a scandal last week by calling on citizens to work more and longer. "It can't be sustainable in the long run that we only work two-thirds of our adult lives and spend the other third in retirement," the CDU politician told the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung." "Demographic change and the continuing increase in life expectancy make it unavoidable: Working life must increase," Reiche was convinced. Reiche further called for an end to "incentives for early retirement" and for "creating incentives to work longer."

The CDU politician received a lot of criticism for her move. Not only did the opposition react with outrage, but she was also attacked from within her own ranks .