Further discussions after coalition agreement on the women's quota

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Berlin (dpa) - The discussions about the quota of women in executive boards continue three days after the governing coalition has reached an agreement in principle on the issue.

Within the Union faction, opponents of the measure took position on Monday.

From the union side, however, there was mainly encouragement.

The head of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB), Reiner Hoffmann, described the agreement as “overdue”.

"It's just embarrassing to claim the opposite after years of apparently ineffective self-commitment by the economy," he said on Monday.

The Federation of German Industries (BDI) again called on politicians to "combine the planned specifications into a balanced compromise".

"Specifically, this means extending the transition periods for companies as much as possible," said BDI board member Iris Plöger on Monday.

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It is true that the BDI supports the goal of promoting the filling of management positions with women.

However, the association was skeptical about the quota.

"It is a major encroachment on entrepreneurial freedom," it said.

"The tendency to always want to resolve socio-political imbalances through the economy and its companies must by no means become the rule."

The black-red coalition had basically agreed on a binding quota for women on boards on Friday evening.

As a result, on the executive boards of listed companies with equal co-determination and with more than three members, one member must be a woman at the latest after a new appointment.

The agreement is to be presented to the coalition leaders for a final decision in the coming days.

DGB boss Hoffmann called the goal "modest" and demanded: "Especially on larger boards, women must at least be represented in accordance with their representation in the company."

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Dissatisfaction with the advance came mainly from the Union faction.

There the so-called economic wing announced resistance to the quota: “We need a stop sign so as not to question the free, social market economy through even more overregulation.

That is why we will do everything we can to prevent this board quota, ”said the deputy chief of the SME parliamentary group (PKM), Hans Michelbach (CSU), the“ Saarbrücker Zeitung ”(Monday).

"The economic wing of the Union should finally open their hearts to a contemporary policy," said DGB boss Hoffmann.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201123-99-434951 / 2