Berlin, Germany – A proposal by the Minimum Wage Commission has been met with criticism from the Left Party, with its leader, Jan van Aken, calling for a legislative fix to set the minimum wage at 15 euros per hour. Van Aken argued that the current proposal does not go far enough, citing the European minimum wage directive, which sets a minimum wage at 60 percent of the median hourly wage, equivalent to 15 euros in Germany.
The Left Party will table a motion to immediately increase the minimum wage to 15 euros, with van Aken stating that anything less is a “hunger wage.” He also criticized the fact that over 800,000 people in Germany are forced to top up their income with social benefits, calling it a “hidden subsidy for companies that do not pay fair wages.”
Sarah Philipp, the leader of the North Rhine-Westphalia SPD, also supports a minimum wage of 15 euros, stating that it is “absolutely important” and that the party will push for it, even if it means passing a law. She emphasized that the SPD’s goal of increasing the minimum wage is not just a party issue, but a goal for the entire government, as it has been agreed upon by the SPD and the Christian Union.
The Social Association of Germany (SoVD) has expressed disappointment with the Minimum Wage Commission’s proposal, calling it a “weak decision” that will only exacerbate the gap between the rich and the poor. The organization’s chair, Michaela Engelmeier, urged the government to increase the minimum wage to 15 euros by the end of the year, citing the growing number of people who are struggling to make ends meet due to high living costs.