Erfurt (dpa/th) – According to the German Federation of Trade Unions, most nursing facilities in Thuringia do not pay their nursing staff according to collective agreements – despite a new legal regulation that has recently come into force. That applies to almost 48 percent of the facilities, said the deputy chairwoman of the DGB district, Renate Sternatz, on Thursday. Instead, they paid the nursing staff according to “the usual regional wage level”. A collective agreement or a church employment contract guideline applies to around 44 percent of the institutions. The DGB relied on figures from the health insurance company AOK Plus, which were confirmed by the health insurance company.
According to the Tarifftreuegesetz, which came into force on September 1, the long-term care insurance funds may only conclude supply contracts with providers who pay according to tariffs or something similar. The approximately 1000 nursing homes and outpatient nursing services in Thuringia had to report to the health insurance company AOK Plus how they pay their employees. According to AOK Plus, the regionally customary wage level for companies not bound by collective bargaining agreements is updated every year. According to the health insurance company, the average hourly wage in the region is currently 17.85 euros.
“The law does not deliver what it promises,” criticized Sternatz, with a view to the high proportion of non-tariff care facilities. It is true that the remuneration in care will improve as a result of the new regulation, which is long overdue. With a uniform collective agreement for all caregivers, however, much more is possible. She also called for a comprehensive reform of long-term care insurance with a cap on the personal contributions to be paid by those in need of care. According to official statistics, more than 34,000 people are employed in care in Thuringia (as of the end of 2019). More than 135,000 people in need of care live in Bavaria.
