At the beginning of September, Managing Director Claus Steinbrenner welcomed CDU state parliamentary candidate Dr. Tim Breitkreuz to Bretzfeld for an in-depth discussion. The topics discussed were the current political and economic situation, the burden placed on SMEs by the planned federal law on collective bargaining and the associated increase in bureaucracy. While its aim of ensuring fair working conditions sounds understandable on the surface, small and medium-sized enterprises fear considerable burdens. Extending the law to state level would further exacerbate these problems. The discussion also focused on the economic challenges of the present day: rising costs, a shortage of skilled workers and growing investment uncertainty. The hopes of many SMEs for business-friendly policies are being dampened by current decisions made by the German government. Dr. Breitkreuz used the visit to find out more about bgu’s work in the field of wastewater and rainwater treatment. Starting in the 1970s, this area was established in Baden-Württemberg in the interests of environmental protection – a task to which bgu still makes a decisive contribution with its technical expertise today. The exchange made it clear how important reliable political framework conditions, less bureaucracy and greater support for SMEs are in order to combine economic strength and sustainable environmental protection.
