A leading labor union official has called on the minimum wage commission to consider a proposal to increase the national minimum wage to 15 euros per hour and has threatened to seek government intervention if the proposal is not accepted.
Frank Werneke, the head of the Verdi union, emphasized the significance of the 15-euro mark, which was mentioned in the coalition agreement between the government’s two main parties, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He expressed hope that the minimum wage commission would come to an agreement on the proposal and warned that the government would need to take action if the commission fails to do so, citing the coalition agreement as a matter of credibility for the two parties.
In a separate criticism, Werneke strongly condemned the government’s plans to flexibilize working hours, warning of severe consequences for employees. He pointed out that the new regulations would allow for working hours of up to 13 hours in a row, which could have disastrous effects on workers in already precarious conditions, such as those in the logistics industry.
Werneke, a member of the SPD, criticized the party for not standing up for the eight-hour working day, which was fought for by labor unions and the social democratic movement. He urged the SPD to maintain its commitment to the eight-hour working day and not to compromise on the issue with the CDU.