display
Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of Social Affairs Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) is calling for a higher minimum wage in Germany.
The lower income groups would have benefited the least from the positive economic development before the corona pandemic, he said on Friday at the presentation of the new NRW social report in Düsseldorf.
This “bad development” has to do with the fact that the minimum wage in Germany has only increased by 2.10 euros since it was introduced in 2015 to 9.60 euros from July 2021. “The minimum wage development in Germany is not okay,” said Laumann firmly.
"It can not go on like that."
He described the performance record of the minimum wage commission made up of employer and employee representatives as “unacceptable”.
"Basically, they have only done one thing over the years: they have cut the average of the wage increases to the minimum wage - and that's it," criticized the social politician.
"You don't need a commission or academic staff for this, all of which are financed by the state."
display
The commission failed to sound out leeway in the lower wage range of the labor market, which could be used for a higher minimum wage without rationalizing regular jobs.
"I'm pretty pissed off about that," said Laumann.
The fact that only a minimum wage of 10.45 was set for July 2022 does not give the “impression that this commission has learned something at some point”.
Nevertheless, Laumann emphasized that he was not in favor of setting the minimum wage solely by the state.
That's why he won't give a specific sentence.
"Politics shouldn't actually do that."
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210226-99-604830 / 2
Social report