The Hessian civil servants are to be paid higher from next year.

With the plan presented by Prime Minister Boris Rhein and Interior Minister Peter Beuth (both CDU) on Friday, the black-green coalition is reacting to the case law of the past few years.

Ewald Hetrodt

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung in Wiesbaden.

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According to this, the remuneration in the lowest salary brackets must be at least 15 percent above the level of basic security.

According to the state government, this gap has narrowed considerably in recent years because the income of the unemployed to be taken into account has increased in recent years.

This does not only result in an increase for the low-income civil servants.

A gap must also be maintained between the individual grades, reflecting the different value of the jobs.

All federal states are obliged to make large amounts available in the next few years, which will run into the billions.

Eliminate special expectations appropriately

The Hessian state government is under particular pressure to act because the Administrative Court (VGH) in Kassel specifically criticized the salary towards the end of last year and submitted the facts to the Federal Constitutional Court.

It is considered certain that it will join the VGH's criticism.

In addition, however, the judges are also expected to provide concrete guidelines on the future salary structure.

The state government wants to make further steps dependent on the verdict, which is expected for next year or the year after that.

But the current repairs are sending a constructive signal to Karlsruhe, explained Beuth.

Because the state has special expectations of the civil servants, it must also provide them with adequate support, emphasized Rhein, who announced the salary increase at the end of May in the government declaration on his assumption of office.

In view of the high sums, however, the requirements of the case law could only be met step by step.

Rhein and Beuth announced a "transparent repair path" that is family-friendly and generation-fair.

In addition to the usual adjustment of salaries and pensions, the salaries of civil servants and pensioners are to increase by three percent on April 1 of next year and on January 1, 2024.

Beuth put the additional burden on the budget at 195 million euros next year and 274 million the year after that.

In addition, the monthly family allowances are to increase from April 1, 2023 by EUR 100 for the first two children and by EUR 300 for each additional child.

Judges and public prosecutors should no longer have the two lowest experience levels in order to be able to compete with the private sector for personnel.

SPD: "Step in the right direction"

"It is good that the state government is complying with our request and wants to take the first steps towards salary repairs with the upcoming double budget," said Heini Schmitt, state chairman of the German Association of Civil Servants.

Unlike other federal states, Hesse avoids civil servants being divided into winners and losers.

The linear increases benefited civil servants and pensioners alike.

It is important that the basic salary remains the decisive variable and that the family allowance does not come to the fore disproportionately.

"The overall proposal now presented is certainly the decisive step in the right direction. According to our assessment, it is the best way so far in comparison, but it should have a larger volume," said Schmitt.

Otherwise it will take too long to achieve constitutional conformity.

The police union also sees it as "positive" that something is finally being done to end the "perpetual violation of the law".

She was pleased that the state government was not using any tricks or excuses such as an allowance or one-off payments.

Like the civil servants' association, the police union also pointed out that numerous colleagues had objected to the salary.

You would have claims for compensation.

The SPD parliamentary group spoke of a "step in the right direction", but also expressed criticism.

MP Heike Hofmann believes that the salary "actually" should also be increased retrospectively.