According to the Paritätischer Gesamtverband, the statutory minimum wage should be raised to at least 14 euros. That said the general manager of the association, Ulrich Schneider, of the German Press Agency. “Someone who works full-time must be able to support themselves from their wages. It’s not just a question of justice, it’s also a matter of decency.”
Schneider emphasized that this also includes claims for future pensions. It cannot be the case that even employees who have worked full-time for 45 years cannot get a poverty-proof old-age pension, he said. The fewer people earn, the lower their pension contributions and the smaller the pension will be later on.
The Minimum Wage Commission, made up of employer and employee representatives, intends to present its proposal for the new level of the statutory minimum wage in Berlin on Monday. The traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP had raised it by law from 10.45 euros to 12 euros as of October 1, 2022. The Commission is now to propose the next increase on January 1, 2024. The government then usually makes the new value binding by regulation.
