Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced interruptions and skepticism from union delegates at the DGB congress in Berlin. Speaking before about 400 attendees, he defended his reform agenda while DGB chair Yasmin Fahimi warned against rolling back labor rights.
Merz spoke on Tuesday at the Hotel Estrel in Berlin. He opened with a charm offensive, praising unions for shielding against far-right influences and sharing his positive experiences in co-determined companies.
Fahimi had warned him beforehand not to pursue changes to the working time law. “We do not want to go back to the time of 1918,” she said. Unions have threatened protests against possible benefit cuts.
The appearance came hours before a coalition summit at the chancellery. Merz appeared tense and had to take several deep breaths before settling into his speech. Reactions stayed muted.
