SPD calls for greater collective bargaining coverage in NRW
The SPD opposition in the state parliament is committed to strengthening collective bargaining in North Rhine-Westphalia in order to achieve fair wages. According to the latest figures, only 56 percent of employees in the most populous federal state still work under a collective wage agreement, said the SPD parliamentary group's spokesperson for labor market policy, Lena Teschlade, in Düsseldorf on Friday. In 1996, according to a study by the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), 82 percent of employees in NRW were still paid according to collective agreements.
The law on collective bargaining in NRW must be reformed, according to an SPD motion for next week's plenary session. The state should become a pioneer and must ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreements for its own contracts. In the opinion of the SPD, compliance with collective bargaining agreements must be guaranteed when awarding funding of 25,000 euros or more.
According to the SPD, precarious employment relationships must be curbed, particularly among foreign care workers who work as 24-hour caregivers in the homes of people in need of care. Current figures should be collected for this purpose. The advice centers for foreign employees should be strengthened.
Teschlade said that employees with collective agreements generally have a higher vacation entitlement, shorter working hours and better working conditions. Companies with collective bargaining agreements have a competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining skilled workers.
In their coalition agreement, the CDU and Greens have stipulated that companies bound by collective agreements should be given preference in public procurement. New rules are to be created where necessary. The state should lead by example.
NRW Minister of Labor Josef Laumann (CDU) has long advocated collective agreements. However, the CDU politician recently stated that collective bargaining coverage is also declining nationwide. Only just over half (52 percent) of employees still work for companies bound by collective agreements. North Rhine-Westphalia is one of the few federal states that is still well above the 50 percent mark. However, the number of companies bound by collective agreements is also falling between the Rhine and Weser rivers.
The SPD in Parliament advocates for modifying the law on collective bargaining in NRW to ensure compliance with agreements for state contracts, especially when funding exceeds 25,000 euros. The decline in tariffs, with only 56% of employees in NRW covered by collective wage agreements, is a concern for the SPD, and they aim to restore the coverage to the 1996 level of 82%.
Source: www.dpa.com
