A proposal by the German Minister for Agriculture, Alois Rainer (CSU), to introduce exemptions to the minimum wage for seasonal agricultural workers has been deemed legally untenable. According to reports in the “Rheinische Post” the initiative has failed to gain traction due to its potential conflict with constitutional principles.
Minister Rainer had commissioned an internal review within the ministry to assess the feasibility of such an exemption. The review concluded that a special regulation of this nature would violate Germany’s fundamental prohibition on discrimination, as enshrined in the Basic Law.
The proposal emerged following a suggestion by Joachim Rukwied, President of the German Farmers’ Association, who advocated for a reduction of the minimum wage for foreign seasonal workers to 80 percent ahead of the Farmers’ Day. Minister Rainer subsequently indicated he was not ruling out such a measure and initiated the internal examination to explore its potential implementation. His statements were reiterated at the Farmers’ Day event.
The initiative has faced significant opposition within the governing coalition, notably from the SPD, which has consistently opposed exemptions to the statutory minimum wage. The outcome signals a setback for efforts to address labor cost concerns within the agricultural sector.