Catherwood LibraryILR School

Opposition parties in Germany have indicated that they will not attend a ceremony at which the Social Democrat government of Chancellor Gerhard Schroder will accept the report of the Hartz Commission on labor market and employment reform (see WIT for July 2, 2002). Members of the conservative Liberal Democrat and Christian Democrat parties have accused Germany?s unions, Chancellor Schroder and other left-wing lawmakers of pressuring members of the commission into watering it down into a meaningless public relations ploy (see WIT for July 23, 2002). Mr. Schroder and leaders of Gemany?s unions have disputed these claims, and Mr. Schroder has said that a cabinet meeting will be held this week to decide how best to implement measures called for in the commission?s report.