Scholz advocates for a minimum wage of 15 euros.
Olaf Scholz, Germany's Federal Chancellor, is advocating for a two-step increase in the minimum wage to €15. He strongly critiques the employers' side in the responsible commission for the last minor increase. Scholz is also clear about his stance on the working time disagreement.
For the first time, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed support for significantly raising the minimum wage to €15. He expressed his viewpoint in a conversation with "Stern" magazine: "I am resolutely in favor of raising the minimum wage to €14 first, and then in the second step to €15." Scholz's statement corresponds with his sharp criticism of the Minimum Wage Commission.
Following the increase to €12 at the start of this legislative period, some of the Minimum Wage Commission members, tasked with annual adjustments, have reportedly strayed from the social partnership tradition of reaching decisions by consensus. Employers were only interested in a minor adjustment, which Scholz considered a breach of protocol. Currently, the minimum wage stands at €12.41.
Scholz's proposal will likely receive support from the majority of the population. According to a recent Forsa survey for "Stern," 57% support increasing the minimum wage to €15, compared to 38% who would support the planned adjustment from €12.41 to €12.82 at the beginning of 2025. 5% expressed no opinion.
In the 4-day workweek debate, Scholz also lashed out at experts who believed Germans were lazy. "It's not right for members of a specific elite to talk about employees in Germany in this way," he said. "Anyone who makes such allegations should be ashamed of themselves."
In the past year alone, 1.3 billion hours of overtime were worked. "In my view, anyone who talks about laziness is out of their element." When asked if his criticism was directed at the FDP representatives, the SPD politician replied, "Regardless of who makes these statements, I find them unfounded and damaging."
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- Olaf Scholz's stance on collective bargaining aligns with his advocacy for the minimum wage increase, as he criticized employers in the Minimum Wage Commission for only seeking a minor adjustment.
- The proposal for a two-step increase in the minimum wage to €15 received significant support from the population, according to a recent Forsa survey for "Stern", with 57% in favor compared to 38% for the planned adjustment to €12.82 in 2025.
- During the 4-day workweek debate, Scholz strongly condemned experts who made allegations about lazy German employees, stating that such claims were unfounded and damaging.
Source: www.ntv.de
