Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier has emphasised the importance of a thriving partnership between the social partners in Germany for the recovery of the economy and the safeguarding of jobs during the coronavirus crisis. On the occasion of today's top-level meeting with leading trade union leaders, Minister Altmaier said: “In these challenging weeks and months in which our economy is struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has once again become clear how important a thriving social partnership is in overcoming the crisis. Germany has always benefitted from the active social partnership that is nurtured between employers and employees, and it is helping Germany again now.” In addition, the Minister said: “I would like to thank the trade unions and the works councils for their dedicated efforts. We must continue to pull together to save jobs and to get the economy moving again.”

At the invitation of the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, the chairmen of the German Trade Union Federation (Mr Reiner Hoffmann), IG Metall (Mr Jörg Hofmann), IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie (Mr Michael Vassiliadis), IG Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (Mr Robert Feiger), of ver.di - Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (Mr Frank Werneke), the Gewerkschaft Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten (Mr Guido Zeitler) and the EVG - Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft (Mr Klaus-Dieter Hommel) met via video conference to exchange views on further steps to cope with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and to safeguard jobs in Germany.