Commenting on today's talks between the Federal Chancellor and Federal Ministers and representatives of business associations and trade unions on the economic consequences of the Corona pandemic, Rainer Dulger, President of the Employers' Association, said:

Berlin, 11 March 2021: "German industry is naturally assuming its overall social responsibility in the Corona crisis. We see a rapid ramp-up of Covid 19 vaccinations and also testing in companies as a crucial contribution to getting economic life back to normal. Companies are standing by in large numbers with their company doctors to provide support here.

It is important that the availability of tests - especially self-testing - is now rapidly improved. Legal issues, particularly those relating to liability, still need to be clarified for vaccination in companies. We also need to quickly find digital solutions for documenting vaccination and testing. This will be key to opening up. The more pragmatic and low-threshold the procedures are, the more widely companies will participate in their implementation.

However, Corona should not obscure the structural challenges facing our country. Our social systems functioned well during the Corona pandemic and cushioned many of the consequences of the crisis. We want to preserve that. But the coffers are empty and the social systems were already under pressure before the crisis due to demographic change. We must therefore finally have an honest debate about necessary reforms in the social systems.

In school education, we have a generation that has effectively lost a year of educational opportunity. We must not underestimate the social consequences. Children from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in particular will be scarred by this for years - in the worst case scenario - into their working lives. Here we need an education offensive!"