Minimum wage increase: at the end of the autonomy of collective bargaining

Presumably, the employers ‘ associations think that it is politically agreed that the government parties will increase the General minimum wage soon anyway due to a change in the law to 12 euros per hour. The SPD wants this, the Greens want it, the Left one anyway – and after the experience with the basic pension it is probably only a matter of time until the CDU and the CSU pivoting on this line.

If this political views as a given, then the employers have done in the minimum wage Commission (which is, as yet, for the height of the wage floor jurisdiction), this Tuesday in fact, a good Deal: you have to buy your approval of an accelerated wage increase to 10.45 euros in the year 2022, the trade Union representatives, and a slowed-down minimum wage increase in the crisis year of 2021 get.

Should be bypassed, the second stage of this Tuesday agreed to increase already by the legislature, would have bought the unions, a pattern without value – and their leaders are working as political lobbyists diligently to ensure that it comes to that.

The minimum wage Commission is not a reflection of free collective bargaining

And the Federal Minister of labour, Hubertus Heil (SPD), on behalf of the formally independent Commission, has linked the thanks for their work on the Tuesday immediately with this perspective: It will present in the autumn, proposals for a change in the law, because that is the minimum wage could be “even better”. Only for members of the government, offered restraint prevented him, apparently, because the Commission in its first communication, open, clear not more that minimum wages below 12 Euro are politically desirable.

You can evaluate this development in two ways: On the one hand, it clarifies the responsibilities and responsibilities – also for the unpleasant consequences, if the legal minimum wage reached a employment of the enemy’s height. It has always been an especially of the CDU and the CSU well-maintained illusion that the state-appointed minimum wage Commission was an Image of free collective bargaining.