The President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Marcel Fratzscher, holds a Increase the minimum wage to 12 euros for necessary and right. Fratzscher told the German Press Agency in Berlin that such a step would probably bring “greatest social improvements” for many people in Germany in the next two years – namely for 10 million people who would be directly affected.
The minimum wage is currently EUR 9.60 per hour. It will be increased to EUR 9.82 on January 1, 2022 and to EUR 10.45 on July 1, 2022. A minimum wage commission recommended these levels decided by the federal cabinet. Representatives of employers and trade unions are primarily represented there. In their election manifestos, the SPD and the Greens are calling for the minimum wage to be raised to 12 euros. In the case of the SPD, for example, it is said: “Those who work all day must be able to live off their work without additional support.” The Left wants to raise the statutory minimum wage to 13 euros. The Union and FDP reject an increase in the minimum wage to 12 euros. Business associations had warned that politics would interfere with the work of the minimum wage commission.
Fratzscher said: “The minimum wage commission is not independent, it is a political commission. That is why it is perfectly fine for the federal government and parliament to set a minimum wage of 12 euros. ”A higher minimum wage does not solve everything, but rather it is also about qualification. “That is the big issue. And it’s about how one can facilitate immigration. ”FDP parliamentary group vice Michael Theurer said on Tuesday:“ To call the minimum wage commission, which includes representatives of employers and employees, as well as scientists, a political commission, is outrageous. ” The fact that the previous minimum wage has hardly cost any jobs is due to the conscientious work of the minimum wage commission.