Overview

• Economy Minister Katherina Reiche argued that demographic shifts and longer lifespans make extending the retirement age toward 70 inevitable.
• Jens-Norbert Schmidt, roofing guild master, endorsed a statutory age of 70 but insisted on flexible work models such as reduced hours from age 50 and ergonomic role shifts.
• SPD leader Lars Klingbeil labeled a uniform age increase as unfair to manual laborers and urged the government to prioritize incentives for voluntary continued work.
• Contractor Otto Peetz proposed that construction workers with 45 years of service be allowed deduction-free early retirement, to be financed by state support.
• Handwerkspräsident Jörg Dittrich called for a comprehensive pension framework that balances longer working lives with ergonomic safeguards and retraining programs.