- Numerous residents of Brandenburg encounter a retirement income falling beneath €1,300.
Approximately half of socially insured full-time workers in Brandenburg could be facing a retirement income below 1,300 euros if they maintain their current earnings, affecting around 258,700 of the 536,700 full-time employees with 45 years of insurance, as per data from the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, in response to a query from Bundestag member Sahra Wagenknecht, as reported by the German Press Agency.
The ministry's figures suggest that even with a pension payout spanning over 40 years, nearly 323,200 men and women would receive a monthly net pension of under 1,300 euros. This is more than half of all socially insured full-time employees in Brandenburg. Wagenknecht remarked to the dpa, "If every other full-time worker in Brandenburg doesn't even earn the 1,300 euros annual pension that federal ministers get after 45 years, it's no wonder people are angry." According to the data, around 336,250 full-time employees in Brandenburg with 45 years of insurance would receive a pension of less than 1,500 euros.
Wagenknecht advocates for a referendum on election day
Wagenknecht suggested that a referendum on the pension system be held concurrently with the federal election on September 25, 2022. Citizens would have the option between the state pension of the traffic light government and an Austria-like pension system, where all professionals contribute - including MPs and ministers.
As per the ministry's figures, out of the approximately 22 million socially insured full-time employees nationwide, around 6.9 million would receive a monthly net pension of less than 1,300 euros after 45 years of insurance. Around 9.8 million would receive less than 1,500 euros monthly. With 40 years of insurance, 9.3 million employees would be left with a net pension of less than 1,300 euros. For approximately 12.4 million full-time employees, it would be less than 1,500 euros.
The proposed referendum on the pension system, as suggested by Wagenknecht, could potentially be held at The Potsdam during the federal election on September 25, 2022. This referendum would give citizens a choice between the current state pension system and a more comprehensive one like Austria's, which would include contributions from all professionals, including ministers.
