FDP Vice warns SPD of “fall from grace” in the minimum wage

2023-07-02 16:04:41

The traffic light coalition argues about the amount of the minimum wage. At the weekend, SPD co-chairman Lars Klingbeil was dissatisfied with the increase of 41 cents to 12.41 euros planned for 2024. “That’s not enough,” he told the “Bild am Sonntag”. The SPD will ensure that Germany implements the European minimum wage directive in the coming year. Then the minimum wage could rise again. “If fully implemented, that would be between 13.50 and 14 euros, according to experts,” Klingbeil said. The coalition partner FDP wants nothing to do with that.

Heike Goebel

Responsible editor for economic policy, responsible for “The Order of the Economy”.

FDP Vice Johannes Vogel told the FAZ: “When the minimum wage was introduced and adjusted, the rules and independence of the minimum wage commission were explicitly emphasized and laid down in legislation as a central element. If Lars Klingbeil is now questioning that because he doesn’t like a single decision by the commission, that’s a political sin that would be to the detriment of the people in the long run.” that independent minimum wage commissions are successful. “Politics must now have their say and stay out of this. Nothing else can be done with us Free Democrats,” the Liberal warned his red and green traffic light colleagues.

Klingbeil: “Inflation eats up wages”

Citizens and companies are burdened by inflation and crumbling competitiveness due to the lack of reforms over the past decade. “All the more we must now reflect on the basic principles of the social market economy. This includes wage determination in general and in particular in the case of the minimum wage, which is a matter for the collective bargaining partners,” Vogel clarified. The Minimum Wage Commission had spoken out in favor of an increase of 41 cents at the beginning of 2024 and a further 41 cents in 2025, based on previous wage agreements. For the first time, the vote was not unanimous; the unions were overruled by the employers’ side, after the Commission President joined them. Nevertheless, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) announced that he would follow the recommendation.

Published/Updated: Recommendations: 90 Manfred Schäfers Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 1 Lea Bernhardt and Tomaso Duso Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 2

Klingbeil attacked the employers. He was “shocked that employers don’t see the reality of life for many millions of workers in this country: Inflation is eating up wages, they have to think about what they can still afford at the end of the month.” The unions are putting pressure on them . DGB boss Fahimi described “this mini-increase” as a “slap in the face to almost 6 million employees”. Verdi asked the traffic light to override the vote by raising it to 14 euros – and thus disempowering the Commission.

The EU directive, through which Klingbeil wants to push through a higher plus, allows this, but does not require it. It contains criteria according to which the member states should set their minimum wage, such as the development of wages and productivity. As a reference point for a fair minimum wage, she recommends 60 percent of the middle income (median) or 50 percent of the average wage in a country. At the beginning of the year, 22 of the 27 EU countries had a statutory minimum wage, according to the statistics portal Statista. In terms of purchasing power, Germany was at the top. Bulgaria brought up the rear with 2.41 euros. Austria, Italy and the Scandinavian EU countries do not have a statutory minimum wage.