Erfurt (dpa/th) - The Erfurt Chamber of Crafts sees many craftsmen in dire straits due to skyrocketing energy prices and a lack of skilled workers. "Our economy is at risk of having a heart attack," said the chamber's managing director, Thomas Malcherek, on Tuesday in Erfurt. The reason is the interlocking crises caused by the war in Ukraine, high inflation and the corona pandemic.
Craft businesses were reaching the limits of their possibilities, said Malcherek. They would sometimes make a loss, "if they have committed themselves to orders for several months and the prices are now exploding". In addition, customers canceled orders in view of the price development.
Nevertheless, the order books are still well filled - but many companies lack the necessary personnel to complete orders. The trades have been reporting a lack of specialists in various trades for several years.
The companies expected more entrepreneurial freedom from politics, the promotion of investments or the reduction of additional burdens. "We have to become more independent in supply chains and energy supply," said Malcherek. In view of the necessary infrastructure investments, planning and approval procedures would have to be accelerated. From the point of view of the skilled trades, dual training should be given more weight and recognition - also in comparison to academic training.
The skilled trades in Thuringia include almost 30,000 companies with almost 150,000 employees. Before the corona pandemic, annual sales were around eleven billion euros.
