Mushroom pickers in the East: Dissatisfaction with work and social situation!

Mushroom pickers in the East: Dissatisfaction with work and social situation!

In Brandenburg there is a lively culture of conversation at gas stations, and one particularly passionate mushroom picker recently caught the attention of reporters. The Lindow native, who is also an enthusiastic angler, stood in front of the camera with a bucket full of porcini mushrooms, chestnuts, Krause Glucken, birch mushrooms and chanterelles. He greatly appreciates the beauty of the region, its people and the lakes, but he sees its future as somewhat bleak. He will soon have a knee operation, which is necessary for professional reasons - a result of his diverse work experiences as a butcher, arborist, forester, professional driver and in a commercial kitchen.

His dissatisfaction with the current work situation and the general social situation in the country was clearly noticeable. The man expressed his concerns about the pension situation and criticized the lack of improvements in school education. He was able to report from his own experience that his income benefited from his time in different companies, both in the East and in the West. This experience may have secured him a higher pension.

Differences between East and West

A comparison between East and West Germany reveals a clear picture: employees in the East earn, on average, 14 percent less than their West German colleagues with the same qualifications. This is mainly due to the lower tariff coverage. An interactive map documents that in many regions of eastern Germany the income level is at the lower end. In southern Germany, however, such as Munich, people earn almost twice as much as many eastern German areas. Annoying differences that cannot easily be explained away.

As the Hans Böckler Foundation underlines, 95 percent of high-income households live in western Germany, while only five percent live in the new federal states, where 39 percent of the low-income population live - a reason for political uncertainty that is exploited by the right-wing populists. These concerns were also an issue for our mushroom picker, who correctly recognized that unity was not yet fully achieved and that it was time to consider improvements.

The challenges of the present

In his conversation, he highlighted the community situation and infrastructure, which he finds inadequate. In his opinion, decisions that directly affect people's lives are made at a higher level without adequate involvement of those affected. He also explained the different perspectives that East and West Germans have on the subject of Russia and criticized the West for broken promises, especially with regard to geopolitical tensions.

Another aspect of the current situation concerned old age poverty. Data shows that almost one in four people in the 60 to 79 age group in East Germany are at risk of poverty. In comparison, the standard of living in East Germany has increased overall, but the risk remains high, especially in the new federal states.

The 2024 social report shows that almost a quarter of older people in East Germany are at risk of poverty. This unequal distribution of wealth is not only reflected in income, but is also the basis for political fears and uncertainties that should not be ignored.

The stories of people like our mushroom picker shed light on the challenges that many East Germans face and make it clear that there is a need for action. Only through discussions and the exchange of experiences can a better understanding of the complex social and economic issues be created.