(Work and family; 01-02; p.3)

The German parties formulate in their electoral programmes different goals concerning the labour market (cf. for the following: Frankfurter Rundschau no. 150, D-edition, p. 9. 02. July 2002.).
The scale of unemployment and the simultaneous shortage of manpower in some professions are considered by all parties as a societal problem, the latter to be solved by adequate educational training.
Within the field of productivity and growth different concepts are offered.
The Social Democrats (SPD) are high-lighting the impact of productivity. Their recipe to smooth developments is to distribute work among a more flexible time-scale and among more employees. Therefore they want to establish a juridical framework regarding as well the employee's safety from poverty while employed.
The Christian Democrats (CDU) offer a contrasting recipe: they want to widen existing labour markets or create new ones. Thus, they are obviously more orientated towards the goal of increasing growth. Making the juridical framework more flexible and giving incentives to people subsidised by the state to lead them (back) onto the labour market are instruments, the CDU proposes to use.
The Greens (GRÜNE) are also orientated towards increasing growth. Contrary to the CDU they want to use the state as actor on the labour market by subsidising pay and salaries to widen existing markets and by itself demanding labour to create markets.
The Liberals (FDP) are campaigning for the accomplishment of market principles on the labour market. Juridical restrictions shall be dropped therefore and state actions shall be reduced to co-ordinating economic policies. Likewise, incentives shall be established for state subsidised people to (additionally) become employed.
The Democratic Socialists (PDS) want to modify the German basic law, thus granting a right of work. State actions on the labour market would thereby turn into a legal obligation to be financed by taxes.
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