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Shocking injustice: Saxony pays the highest care contributions!
The DGB Saxony demands fair contributions in nursing care insurance, while the day of repentance and prayer remains a public holiday.
Shocking injustice: Saxony pays the highest care contributions!
In Saxony, the day of repentance and prayer is approaching, which will be celebrated in two weeks. However, in a federal state that differs from others through its own nursing care insurance regulations, this tradition comes at a price. Employees here have had to pay half a percent more to nursing care insurance for 30 years. The German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) in Saxony criticizes this sharply. As [DGB Sachsen](https://sachsen.dgb.de/presse/pressemitigungen/pressemitigung/dgb-sachsen-30-jahre-und-kein-grund-zum- Feiern-jetzt-bei-der-pflegeversicherung-herstellen/) reports, the unequal financing of nursing care insurance has a major impact: Saxon employees pay an average of 227.42 euros more per year than their colleagues in other federal states.
The facts speak for themselves. According to the DGB, the average gross annual salary in Saxony is 51,339 euros. With uniform financing, employees could even save 256.70 euros per year. The DGB therefore calls for fair contributions in nursing care insurance and is committed to retaining the public holiday. A passionate plea from Daniela Kolbe, deputy chairwoman of the DGB Saxony, shows how important this holiday is for many.
High contributions and little compensation
Where does this injustice actually come from? The origin lies in the introduction of long-term care insurance in 1995, when the states were required to abolish a national holiday in order to compensate for the burden on employers. 15 of 16 federal states canceled the day of repentance and prayer. However, Saxony retained it under the CDU government of Kurt Biedenkopf. Employees in Saxony are now turning the tables: They have to pay the full contributions to long-term care insurance, while employers only pay part of the social insurance.
Current data shows that employees in Saxony have to pay 2.2 percent of their income into nursing care insurance, while employers only contribute 1.2 percent. The Senate estimates a total burden of 3.4 percent, while comparative figures from other federal states indicate an employer share of 1.8 percent. Due to this regulation, insured people without children have to pay a surcharge of 0.35 percent from the age of 23, which makes the situation even worse. ND-Aktuell confirms that this has triggered broad discussions about fairness and equal treatment in nursing care insurance.
What can be done?
The demand for fundamental change is becoming louder and louder. In particular, an adjustment to Section 58 (3) in SGB XI is considered necessary to end the injustice. The DGB also offers a savings calculator on its homepage to show employees how much money they could lose as a result of this regulation. The discussion about fair contribution has broken out and resistance is growing.
Finally, it remains to be said that the coming weeks could be crucial for the future design of long-term care insurance in Saxony. The decision to maintain the day of repentance and prayer as well as the calls for fair funding will also continue to be of great importance. There is no blanket solution, but educating and raising awareness among citizens is essential to sustainably improve the situation.