Minimum wage increases to 14.60 euros-does the 15-euro brand come closer?

Minimum wage increases to 14.60 euros-does the 15-euro brand come closer?

In Germany, there is a significant increase in the minimum wage. The minimum wage commission has decided to raise the statutory minimum wage to 14.60 euros by mid-2027, so the Magdeburger Nachrichten . Holger Hövelmann, the economic policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, describes this step as necessary in order to take into account the changes in prices. His goal: a minimum wage of 15 euros, ideally soon and definitely in the next few years.

Hövelmann emphasizes that it is not about pressing wages, but rather creating better conditions, especially in the service sector and agriculture. "Work must be enough to live" is a clear statement by the SPD politician, who sees the increase in the minimum wage as an expression of respect for hard workers in lower wage segments.

price increases and demand for collective bargaining

by the end of June 2025, the minimum wage commission will continue to file at the level of the minimum wage in order to ensure a fair adaptation in the next two years. This orientation is no longer only carried out in collective bargaining, but also at the ambitious goal of 60 percent of the median wage for full -time employees, such as the Hans-Böckler-Foundation reported. Current calculations show that a minimum wage between 14.88 and 15.31 euros is necessary to achieve this target value by 2027

An internal review of the Kaitz index shows that Germany has often been below the international standard in the past. The statutory minimum wage, which was introduced at 8.50 euros per hour in 2015, has now established itself as an integral part of German labor market policy. But despite the progress, the current minimum wage of 12.82 euros remains below the EU recommendation of 60 percent of the median wage, which increases the pressure to discuss further increases.

collective bargaining under pressure

Another construction site is the tariff bond in Germany, which has been in a descent for years. According to the wsi , only about 29% of the employees in the private sector was secured by a collective agreement. The reasons are diverse: an increasing fragmentation of the market and an increase in smaller companies that often have no access to collective agreements.

various parties have different ideas for strengthening the tariff bond. The SPD plans to increase the minimum wage to 15 euros by 2026 and at the same time to promote collective bargaining by law initiatives. In contrast, the FDP is rather reserved and demands respect for tariff autonomy without allowing political interventions to the minimum wage commission.

The Left Party goes even further and demands an annual adjustment of the minimum wage to the inflation rate, while the Greens have already considered a minimum wage of 15 euros for 2025. The differences in the political approaches make it clear that both the collective bargaining and the minimum wage policy will be on the political agenda in the coming years.