German Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer, a member of the Christian Social Union (CSU), continues to explore the possibility of exceptions to the minimum wage for seasonal agricultural workers. The original proposal, which was initiated by the German Builders’ Association, was rejected by the Federal Labor Minister, Bärbel Bas of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), citing legal concerns. In contrast, the Agriculture Minister pointed to the concerns of farmers.
“Just in special horticulture, we have many seasonal workers and if the minimum wage increases at this speed to 15 euros, the farmers will have a huge problem” Rainer said in an interview with RTL/ntv’s “Frühstart” program on Thursday. His ministry is therefore examining whether a legal exception is possible. “We haven’t gained anything if they stop and come to us with strawberries, asparagus, or other special crops from other countries” the CSU politician said.
If the possibility of exceptions to the minimum wage is found to be legally sound, Rainer has announced a discussion with the social democratic coalition partner. He is aware of the importance of the minimum wage for the SPD. “We will try to ease the situation with arguments, particularly in the agricultural sector, if possible” he said.
The Agriculture Minister also defended the repeal of the Stoffstrombilanzverordnung, an environmental regulation that had raised concerns among environmental groups about increased over-fertilization and water pollution. Rainer stated that the previous regulation had brought little benefit to the farmers, apart from bureaucratic burdens. The new regulation will be designed to be practical and effective, ensuring that the rules are manageable for farmers and the groundwater is protected. The original regulation was introduced to avert a contract breach procedure by the European Commission due to repeated exceedances of the groundwater limits under the Nitrate Directive.