Collective agreements are part of the DNA of the social market economy, says NRW Labor Minister Laumann. And criticizes companies that “think they no longer need all of this”. An advantage for employees in companies bound by collective bargaining agreements: Many receive a Christmas bonus.
Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – NRW Minister of Labor Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) has spoken out in favor of more collective agreements between employers and employees. “We don’t need less, we need more collective agreements in North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Laumann on Sunday, according to a statement from the ministry.
Most of the rights of employees are not written in statute books, but are negotiated on an equal footing between employers’ associations and trade unions in the social market economy. “It must be clear to the public again that collective negotiations at the level of the collective bargaining parties are simply part of the DNA of our social market economy.” It’s not okay when companies think they don’t need all of that anymore.
The reason for this was an evaluation by the Ministry of Christmas bonuses published on Sunday. According to this, employees in companies with a collective agreement often receive a Christmas bonus. In non-tariff companies, on the other hand, the payment of a Christmas bonus is often voluntary and can be revoked or omitted.
“The example of the Christmas bonus makes it clear once again that collective agreements are a very important differentiator when recruiting employees and trainees, especially in times when there is a shortage of skilled workers,” said Laumann.
According to the ministry, the parties to the collective bargaining agreement in NRW have agreed on a Christmas bonus or an annual bonus (13th salary) in over 80 sectors. The benefit is mainly calculated as a fixed percentage of the monthly income. The amount of the benefit is regulated differently depending on the economic sector. There are still no Christmas bonuses in the butcher’s trade, in the confectionery trade and in commercial horticulture.
According to the evaluation, around 57 percent of employees currently work for companies bound by collective bargaining agreements. However, their number is decreasing. In 2018, the figure was still 60 percent.