Thomas Hetz, Chief Executive of the Federal Employers' Association of Personnel Service Providers (BAP), has rejected comments on temporary work made by Greens-Bundestag deputy Beate Müller-Gemmeke.

Müller-Gemmeke, who is also a spokeswoman for labour rights in the Green Bundestag parliamentary party, commented in an interview with newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung on temporary workers.

“It is a fairy tale, when it is always pointed out that temporary workers are worse qualified,” Müller-Gemmeke said. “Temporary work is by no means carried out by people who do not have a chance on the regular labour market, rather, they simply do not get a chance there". Furthermore, she also stated that the differences in wages are "gravely high" and "that's why we want equal pay for equal work," she said.

In the 2013 federal elections, the Greens came fourth with 8.4% of the votes and 63 out of 630 seats in the Bundestag.

Hetz rejected the comments. "With her comments on temporary work, Müller-Gemmeke distorts the facts: Even if only a quarter of the time employees do not have a vocational qualification, their share is almost twice as high as that of the total labour market, which is around 12%, according to figures from the Federal Agency for Labour.”

“Müller-Gemmeke has unfortunately still not realised that temporary work gives those people an opportunity, which is more difficult on the labour market,” Hetz said. “Apart from the long-term unemployed and migrants, this also includes low-skilled workers. Therefore, I cannot stress the importance of temporary work as part of the labour market for these groups of people”.

Hetz also stated that, in recent years, temporary work has consistently adjusted wages in the sector. Between 2010 and 2016, temporary work wages in West and East Germany have been rising. A collective wage agreement was reached in December of last year for the temporary employment sector.

“The industry pays wages, which are well above the minimum wage and more qualified temporary workers also earn more,” Hetz said. “Therefore, the question arises as to whether Müller-Gemmeke is the one who tells ‘fairy tales’ and interprets facts about temporary work as she pleases."