The tax cut for fuel and the 9-euro ticket for local transport are a done deal. But the criticism of the weighting of the relief does not stop – from different sides.
After the resolutions to reduce costs for drivers and users of local public transport, calls for more support for other groups are becoming louder.
The Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) and the union have a particular focus on pensioners and students. The new DGB chairwoman Yasmin Fahimi told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday): “Pensioners and students must not go away empty-handed. They should also get the energy flat rate of 300 euros.” In addition, she called for “a temporary reduction in VAT for energy and a gas price cap for all households”.
Fahimi criticized the lack of accuracy with the tax relief. People with low incomes would not have enough of it. “Of the total costs incurred by the state as a result of the tax relief law, only seven percent are attributable to the increase in the distance allowance for long-distance commuters,” she said. “The rest is more likely to be distributed with the watering can. This also applies to the increase in the employee allowance from 1000 to 1200 euros. »
CDU: Relief packages not targeted
According to CSU General Secretary Martin Huber, the relief packages come too late, they are not targeted and not sufficient. “It would now be more important for citizens to reduce VAT and, above all, to relieve pensioners and students and to dynamically increase the commuter allowance when fuel prices have risen,” Huber demanded in the “Welt am Sonntag”.
“While US President Joe Biden has made combating inflation one of his top issues, the Chancellor doesn’t even put the word inflation on his lips,” criticized Jens Spahn, Vice President of the Union faction. “In the short term, we need further relief for citizens, including income tax, keyword cold progression.”
The President of the German District Association, Reinhard Sager (CDU), does not believe in the 9-euro ticket for local public transport that was decided on Friday. “Billions are once again being paid out for consumer spending as if there were no tomorrow,” he told the editorial network Germany. Investment funds for municipal infrastructure are needed more urgently.
Families in particular
SPD leader Saskia Esken told the editorial network Germany that families are particularly affected by price increases for food and energy. “When we came up with the relief packages, we therefore paid particular attention to the situation of families. Nevertheless, we cannot cushion further increases in prices for basic needs with more and more individual measures». Instead, it is important, especially for families with lower incomes, to cope with inflation “that wages rise”.
In all sectors, low incomes in particular should now be taken into account in collective bargaining. “Workers now need more money to be able to afford the life that has become more expensive. It’s not the time for wage moderation,” said Esken. DGB boss Fahimi told the Funke newspapers that for social peace in Germany it was “of central importance that the employees now also feel involved. We need a clear signal that the costs of the crisis will not be passed on to them. That’s why we’re sticking to our claim: we want a decent sip from the wage bottle now.”
