When the Day of Repentance and Prayer is celebrated in Germany this Wednesday, only the people in Saxony do not have to go to work. But they practically pay for the Protestant holiday out of their own pockets. Now there are calls to change that.
Dresden (dpa/sn) – The day of repentance and prayer remains controversial as a public holiday in Saxony because of the additional financial burden it puts on employees. This was the result of a survey of party representatives on the eve of the holiday. The Day of Penance and Prayer is celebrated on this Wednesday and was abolished in all other federal states in 1995 to finance the newly introduced long-term care insurance. Since then he has been free of work in Saxony. However, the employees have to pay higher contributions for long-term care insurance.
“The day of repentance and prayer is particularly important today. It reminds us that we human beings are fallible,” explained CDU parliamentary group leader Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch. At the same time, however, he sees a gap in justice. In the meantime, other federal states have introduced new public holidays without increasing their contributions to long-term care insurance. “That’s unfair. That’s why I’m calling for the same law to apply to Saxony in the future and for citizens to be exempted from the higher contributions to long-term care insurance.”
SPD party leader Hennig Homann also called for the injustice to end. Saxons would be charged an average of 222 euros more per year. Only the employers benefited from this regulation. Unfortunately, the CDU has always defended this disadvantage: “I note that the CDU is now rethinking this question. That would be a good opportunity to find a solution together in the coalition.” Abolishing the holiday is not up for debate for the SPD.
In the opinion of Linke boss Stefan Hartmann, the people of Saxony are paying for the “stubbornness of the CDU” on this day: “We have always thought that Saxony’s special path was wrong.” In Saxony, it is primarily the state government’s duty to bring about a change through the Federal Council and to relieve the burden on employees. The coalition agreement between the CDU, SPD and Greens in Saxony does not explicitly provide for this, but does not rule it out either. It would be the turn of the SPD and the Greens to put pressure on the Union.
The AfD considers it “unfair and strange” that Saxons have to pay more for long-term care insurance than citizens in other federal states. “There are more public holidays in Bavaria than in Saxony. Nevertheless, there is no additional contribution there. We therefore call for this injustice to be eliminated quickly and for all federal states to be treated equally,” explained AfD party and parliamentary group leader Jörg Urban.
The German Trade Union Confederation insisted on ending the Saxon special path and ensuring equal financing. “For 27 years, the employees in Saxony have been paying extra every month and are therefore massively disadvantaged when it comes to financing long-term care insurance. They have to pay half a percent more than in other federal states and thus pay for the day of repentance and prayer as a public holiday out of their own pocket”, argued DGB Vice Daniela Kolbe. As usual, employers would have to pay half of the contributions to long-term care insurance.
Green politician Kathleen Kuhfuss saw other priorities for her party in view of the currently pressing problems in care – for example the further development of care into a system that ensures good care for everyone in old age. This also includes the design of suitable locations: Away from stationary facilities in large buildings towards multi-generational living and assisted living.
