Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck has described the increase in the minimum wage as too low. The Greens politician commented on the program “RTL Direkt Spezial – Am Tisch mit Robert Habeck” when asked by a citizen who described the different percentage increases in the minimum wage and the citizen’s income as unfair. Habeck said that was basically “difficult or impossible to justify”.
Citizens’ money is basically raised automatically “according to the statistics”, based on price increases for food or clothing, said Habeck. When it comes to the minimum wage, he referred to a commission made up primarily of representatives of employers and employees. The minimum wage increase does not correspond to the increase that comes with citizens’ money, said Habeck. The citizen, a metal worker, has a completely right point here. “For me, I would say the minimum wage increase is too low.” On the show he discussed with two citizens.
The statutory minimum wage in Germany is to be increased by 82 cents to 12.82 euros over the next two years. Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD) had announced that he would implement a corresponding proposal from the Minimum Wage Commission. The Commission had proposed raising the minimum wage on January 1, 2024 from the current 12.00 to 12.41 euros and a year later to 12.82 euros – which means a total increase of 6.8 percent. The employee representatives on the commission had described the increase as too low, but were outvoted.
The more than five million recipients of citizen benefits are to receive noticeably higher benefits in the coming year. From the beginning of 2024, single people should receive 563 euros per month instead of 502 euros today. According to Federal Minister of Social Affairs Hubertus Heil (SPD), this is an average increase of a good twelve percent.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz had criticized the increase in citizen money. “We have a problem with the so-called wage gap requirement,” Merz said on ARD. The government punishes performance, he had told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “If you get the impression that it makes no difference whether you work more or less, you will try less.”
