Minimum wage to 15 euros: Saxony in the crisis - companies warn!

Minimum wage to 15 euros: Saxony in the crisis - companies warn!

Leipzig, Deutschland - The discussion about increasing the minimum wage in Germany has gained intensity in recent months. The minimum wage commission will announce a decision for the next two years by the end of June 2025. An increase from currently EUR 12.82 to 15 euros per hour is expected. This increase could not only affect wages in the low-wage sector, but also have an impact on higher salary groups, as warnings by Joachim Ragnitz from the IFO Institute show. He emphasizes that such an increase could bring considerable additional loads for companies, especially in the processing of businesses.

Criticism of the planned increase comes mainly from Saxony, where the IHK in Leipzig warns of the economic challenges that could be accompanied by an increase by 17 percent. Fabian Magerl, General Manager of the IHK, emphasizes that the increasing energy costs, the high inflation rate and the declining willingness to consume are stressful for companies. In the catering trade, many companies already feel sales declines, since consumers often do without visits with increasing prices.

arguments for and against the increase

In Saxony, around 22,300 people work for the minimum wage in Leipzig and 20,600 in Dresden. The Trade Union Food Guest Gaststics (NGG) calls for a significant increase in the minimum wage to adapt wages to the level of the West German federal states. The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) points out that wages in Saxony remain behind those in West Germany, which could have a negative impact on purchasing power. An increase in the minimum wage can benefit the economy in Saxony and strengthen the purchasing power of the population.

• Economic effects: 19% of companies expect a decline in employment if the minimum wage increases to 14 euros.
• affected companies: in East Germany, 25% of the companies expect serious consequences of the increase.
• political attitude: SPD and Greens support the increase while the FDP is reserved.

The past increase of the minimum wage to 12.82 euros was decided against the votes of the unions in 2023. Analyzes show that the increase will in future be based on the target value of 60 % of the median wage, which requires a minimum wage of around 15 euros. So far, Germany has regularly fallen below this international reference value.

A two -stage adaptation process for the minimum wage is recommended, which includes a regular adaptation based on tariff development and an additional component to close the gap to the target value. While business associations warn that an increase could affect competitiveness, unions argue for an increase in combating poverty and strengthening the purchasing power of the employees.

The political discussions within the traffic light coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP) remain divided because each party has different views to the upcoming increase. The debate about the minimum wage remains a central topic in the political agenda and is associated with high expectations and worries.

For more information on the arguments and developments related to the minimum wage, the reports from sächsische.de href = "https://www.boeckler.de/de/Pressemitteigungungen-2675-naechste-münfehauben-duerfent-staerker-ausfall-15-in-licht-67792.htm"> böckler.de and Managerblatt.de .