German business warns that the army project would deepen the lack of workers

The increasing need of the German army to new recruits make companies eager to fight them in order to find employees will become more difficult.

Companies representatives told the Financial Times that they supported efforts to strengthen the army of the largest country in Europe, where NATO seeks to strengthen its deterrence against Russia.

But they are concerned that returning to a form of recruitment – as well as a campaign to obtain more civilians to work as more bewitched – would increase companies trying to recruit skilled workers in the narrow labor market.

“The security situation is dramatic,” said Stephen Campit, director of the country’s employers group, adding that he welcomed efforts to strengthen the armed forces. But he warned that the army would compete with the civil demand for employees.

“Yes, we need more active soldiers,” he said. “Yes, we need to expand the reserve soldiers system. But only a strong economy can make it possible.”

German Defense Secretary Boris Pistorius plans to present a voluntary recruitment model that initially sees about 5,000 children who are 18 years old in the army every year.

But he also admitted that such a scheme was unlikely to fill the big gaps in the army, which floats the option to return to the recruitment. Until 2011, the youth were forced to provide military service or a civilian alternative.

Pistorius, a social democratic, did not say how the mandatory recruitment model should work. But he expressed his support for the regime in Sweden, where about 10 percent of young people are called every year after the examination.

While employment is in record levels, Germany has The shortest average working hours From any rich economy, according to the data of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The new government in the country, led by conservative counselor Fredchich Mirz, promised to obtain the nation Work more As part of a batch to revive the slow economy.

Mirz hopes that working hours will help increase the shortage of acute skills in sectors such as health, education and engineering industry.

Campter said that this effort would be more vibrant if the armed forces will add to the competition for the workers. “If the necessary employees are withdrawn from us, this means issues such as weekly working hours, the length of practical life, and a better integration of a part-time worker in the labor market-all of these topics become more important,” he said.

A representative of another business group, who asked not to be associated with their association, said that “many questions” about a return to recruitment.

The person said that “there is no doubt that something to be done” about the employment in the Bundeswahher, as the German armed forces know. But they added, “There are two conflicting targets – economic prosperity and defense.”

A study last year by the Munich -based IFO Institute found that it is better to spend money in making an attractive voluntary military service program, rather than resorting to recruitment.

The research, which is commissioned by the German Ministry of Finance, warned that the mandatory model will carry high economic costs for the country, in addition to delaying individuals and their financial prospects by delaying their entry into study or work.

“The different people are fluent in different activities,” said Bouchenvara, one of the authors. “If you have a recruitment, and it is not voluntary, it forces people who are not good to be in the army to serve in the army.”

The IFO Institute has found a good-paid voluntary model persuading 5 percent of the 18-year-old Germany Group for registration-about 39,000 people-the government costs 1.5 billion euros annually in salary payments.

This will be more than twice the cost of the mandatory recruitment model of the same size, which supposed to save a fewer wage. But it will be compensated with a smaller strike to the total national income. The impact will be greater if the government wants to attract more recruits.

The army needs to expand about 80,000 people during the next decade to meet NATO’s obligations in Germany.

Senior military officials say the volume of army reserves – consists of civilians working with the army for a few weeks per year – needs to reach 200,000 in the coming years.

Mirz, who gave himself a strong supporter of business, called on the companies of the companies to make sacrifices to support this.

Jeans Gunter and his family-owned internal company at Günther-Innenausbau last year won the Ministry of Defense Award to allow one of their carpentry to serve 15-20 days a year as a reserve. He said it was a positive experience. “I would like to do my role … I get an enthusiastic employee who expands his horizons a little and returns things to the company.”

But he said that the company, which includes about 20 employees, could not deal with more reserve soldiers. “If there are two or three, it will not be possible.”

Carlo Masala, a professor of international politics at the University of Bondisuer Munich, said concerns about the economic impact to return to a form of recruitment were “exaggerated.”

Even under a mandatory model, he said he was expected that more than 25,000 young men would not be called every year – much less than more than 200,000 Western German recruits at the height of the Cold War.

Masala said: “My general feeling is that the German business community has realized that they needed to participate in a positive way on the issue of defense,” said Masala. “At the end of the day, they must accept it.”