BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – The chairman of the minimum wage commission, Jan Zilius, has criticized the rapid increase in the minimum wage to twelve euros. “Increasing the minimum wage to twelve euros overnight would be problematic,” said Zilius of the “Rheinische Post” (Tuesday).
“Because we would then have to revise current collective agreements to an extent that would no longer have much to do with our collective bargaining autonomy,” he argued. “In other words: if the rate were raised too quickly to twelve euros, we would make collective bargaining obsolete for lower wage groups.”
At the end of June, the minimum wage commission recommended an increase from now 9.35 euros to 10.45 euros per hour by 2022. Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) then wants to quickly increase it further to twelve euros. To do this, he wants to set new standards for the minimum wage commission, as he announced last week. Top representatives of employers and unions vote on the minimum wage level on the committee.
Zilius said the topic “has surely had more political pressure in the cauldron in recent years.” Nevertheless, the Commission is still independent. “As a member of the Commission and even more as a chairman, you have to have the peace of mind to accept the political discussion with ease.”
Heil wants to make suggestions after the summer break. “We have to be very careful not to conflict with the existing collective bargaining rules,” warned Zilius. “I think a minimum wage that goes far beyond the applicable collective wage agreements, ie higher than the lowest wage groups, would be problematic.” / Sku / DP / zb
