Magdeburg (dpa/sa) – Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament has passed a new collective agreement and procurement law. Public contracts only went to contractors who paid their employees according to collective agreements, emphasized SPD MP Holger Hövelmann on Friday in the state parliament. This benefits the kitchen staff in the school who distributes food, as well as a security guard who guards state properties. It is one of the most important economic policy projects of the coalition of CDU, SPD and FDP. According to Hövelmann, it was a good day for employees, companies and public clients.
The left criticized the increased thresholds from which the rules take effect. In the future, it will be EUR 40,000 for services and EUR 120,000 for construction work. Left MP Wulf Gallert expressed the fear that many orders would fall below the limits in the future and that workers would no longer benefit. In addition, there were no mandatory social and ecological criteria.
FDP parliamentary group leader Andreas Silbersack said it was often difficult to even find companies that were still involved in complex procurement procedures. With the new law, the procedures would be significantly simplified. It is a “huge advantage” that orders can now be “on the road” more quickly. Silbersack spoke of a fair solution. “There are only winners in the law.”
The economic policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Ulrich Thomas, explained: “From the point of view of the CDU, the law is really not a milestone. We would have liked it to be abolished completely. Nevertheless, the coalition has moved in a positive direction.”
The law was passed with the votes of the coalition factions. The opposition factions voted against it.
