“Millions of people in Germany benefit – including many women and many people in East Germany.”
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil wants to implement the promised increase in the minimum wage to 12 euros this year. “As a candidate for Chancellor, Olaf Scholz said that we would increase the minimum wage to 12 euros within a year. And we will increase it in 2022 because it is necessary, “Heil told the German press agency. The SPD politician announced that he would submit a draft law “in the next few weeks”. “The increase to 12 euros will and must come. That is a question of fair performance and respect for decent work. “
The minimum wage in Germany is currently 9.82 euros gross per hour; it had risen by 22 cents per hour on January 1st. The traffic light coalition partners of the SPD, Greens and FDP have written the increase to 12 euros in the coalition agreement. Normally, the increase steps follow the requirements of the so-called minimum wage commission, which is made up of representatives from employers and trade unions. Above all, employers are clearly criticizing the plan to raise the minimum wage by law.
Labor Minister Heil does not want to be put off by this. “If the employers’ associations do not want the state to intervene, then they can and must do their homework when it comes to collective bargaining coverage. Only 48 percent of employees are subject to collective bargaining agreements, ”he said.
Many people in the country would work “in the far too large low-wage sector” and could “barely make ends meet despite full-time work,” said Heil. “Millions of people in Germany would benefit from the increase – including, above all, many women and many people in East Germany, where the low-wage sector is particularly large due to a lack of collective bargaining coverage”.
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It is “also a question of trust in democratic politics” to implement this election promise. “I also expect respect for this democratic decision,” said Heil. The minimum wage commission will continue to retain its “previous function as an independent commission” and continue to make recommendations to the federal government.
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