Germany's employers are considering taking legal action against the law for a minimum wage of 12 euros announced by the traffic light government.

"Our problem is the way there," said employer president Rainer Dulger of the German press agency in Berlin.

"As it is intended by the federal government at the moment, I consider it a gross violation of collective bargaining autonomy," said Dulger.

Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) wants to present a law at the beginning of the year to raise the lower wage limit to 12 euros this year.

On January 1, the minimum wage will rise from 9.60 to 9.82 euros and on July 1 to 10.45 euros.

Dulger criticized the proposed law as a breach of the government's promise that "the minimum wage commission is the guardian of the minimum wage and not politics," he said.

"Whether, when and how we have the federal government's actions legally checked in a qualified manner depends entirely on when this political minimum wage is to be enforced," said Dulger.

"The autonomy of collective bargaining is constitutionally protected."

On the day Olaf Scholz (SPD) was elected as the new Federal Chancellor, Heil had already announced that a law would be swiftly submitted to raise the minimum wage.

This should come this year, Heil had said in an interview.

A minimum wage of 12 euros was a key campaign promise made by Scholz.

According to Scholz, up to ten million workers will benefit from it.

The minimum wage as a plaything in politics 

Since the introduction of the lower wage limit in 2015 at a level of EUR 8.50, the minimum wage commission, together with representatives of employers and trade unions, had specified the steps to increase.

In the coalition agreement, the SPD, the Greens and the FDP had promised that the independent minimum wage commission would again decide on possible increases after the one-time adjustment to 12 euros.

Dulger said: “In the short term, it's not about 12 euros, it's about how the new federal government deals with the minimum wage commission and with collective bargaining autonomy.” He warned: “The minimum wage as a political plaything is the last thing our social partnership needs can. "It is highly questionable what sense the minimum wage commission still has if in every future legislature it is said by politicians:" We'll change the minimum wage as we want, and then we will reinstate the commission. " Crafts President Hans Peter Wollseifer also commented. "Should the minimum wage of 12 euros come already in 2022, that would make around 200 collective agreements that were negotiated between the social partners - that is, employers and unions - obsolete," said Wollseifer.The only conceivable way out of this dilemma is to set the 12 euros as a goal - “but not for the year 2022”, as Wollseifer said of the dpa. "That you define the term of the 12 euros, but in such a way that the minimum wage commission can support it."

The increase already decided in the middle of the year was already in sight of the 12 euros, said Wollseifer.

"They would probably be reached by the end of 2023 anyway."

DGB chairman Reiner Hoffmann sees opportunities for a consensus on the way to the 12 euros.

"We have a common interest in not questioning the functionality of the minimum wage commission," said Hoffmann.

"It should be possible to find a joint solution as to how the 12 euros can now be reached quickly." If this amount is reached, the previous mechanisms should continue to apply, according to the chairman of the German Federation of Trade Unions.

"It is clear to the unions: The minimum wage is always only the second-best solution - after strong collective bargaining with good collective wages."

Wollseifer warned: “If the minimum wage becomes the plaything of politics, then the members of the minimum wage commission should really think about whether it still makes sense to continue working in this commission.” Heil had assured in an interview with the “Rheinische Post” shortly before Christmas that the future increase steps after the increase to 12 euros "would then follow the recommendations of the independent minimum wage commission".