NGG: 339,000 Brandenburgers with hourly wages below 14 euros
According to the Food, Beverages and Catering Union (NGG), around 339,000 people in Brandenburg work for hourly wages of less than 14 euros. 96,000 of them work full-time and 140,000 part-time, while around 103,000 are marginally employed, the union announced on Wednesday. According to the union, hourly wages below 14 euros are a burden on the state. The federal and state governments are supporting recipients with around five billion euros in housing benefit alone this year. The NGG is currently holding its trade union conference in Bremen.
The NGG bases its criticism on a study carried out by the Pestel Institute in Hanover on behalf of the union. According to the study, around ten million people in Germany work for an hourly wage of up to 14 euros.
The study states that if wages were to rise to 14 euros, the social security system would receive an additional ten billion euros. Income tax would increase by around two billion euros. This is said to be a conservative estimate.
The Hospitality industry, where many of these underpaid workers are employed, could significantly benefit from wage increases, as suggested by the NGG's study. Trade unions, like the NGG, are advocating for higher wages in the Social affairs sector, as they believe it would alleviate the financial burden on the state and increase revenue through income tax.
Source: www.dpa.com
