Provide relief, secure skilled workers

Retreat of the employee vice presidents of the chambers of crafts in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland at the BTZ Kaiserslautern.

The employee vice presidents of the Chambers of Skilled Crafts in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland recently met for their annual retreat. The discussions focused on the consequences of the new Rhineland-Palatinate state government's coalition agreement for the skilled trades sector – and the question of which projects now need to be quickly finalized and financially secured.

The announced free master craftsman's examination, the strengthening of dual vocational training, faster access to language courses, and the planned pilot project "apprentice dormitory" were particularly well-received. The employee vice presidents described these points as important signals for the future of skilled trades.

Participants identified a particular need for action regarding the financing of inter-company vocational training (ÜLU). They called for increased subsidies from the federal and state governments to relieve the burden on training companies in light of rising time, organizational, and professional demands.

Smaller businesses, in particular, depend on keeping training costs manageable. There is still a need for action regarding the lack of a trainee ticket and insufficient progress in ensuring compliance with collective bargaining agreements. Affordable and reliable mobility is crucial, especially for trainees in rural areas. Public contracts must also contribute more to supporting fair wages, good working conditions, and companies bound by collective agreements. 

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Another key focus was the ongoing burden placed on energy-intensive craft businesses by high energy costs. The vice presidents of the employee representatives see both state and federal politicians as equally responsible for providing relief and thus securing jobs and apprenticeships in the skilled trades.

The meeting's shared message is clear: the positive approaches outlined in the coalition agreement must now be translated into concrete improvements for businesses, employees, and apprentices. From the perspective of the employee representatives, the skilled trades sector needs reliable framework conditions, adequate funding for apprenticeships, improved mobility options for apprentices, and fair competition through stricter adherence to collective bargaining agreements.

Dirk Fischer, President of the Chamber of Skilled Crafts of the Palatinate, welcomed the good cooperation with the employee representatives: "I would like to express my sincere thanks for the good cooperation and the constructive exchange that we maintain even outside of this conference in order to jointly advance skilled crafts in the Palatinate."

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