Europe
Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner László Andor has called for higher pay in Germany in order to boost both demand both within the country and across Europe. He also encouraged the application of minimum wages across more sectors and said that Germany had to respond to the challenges from Belgium and France about wage dumping because of the growth of low paying sectors in the economy.
Read more at > DW news website (EN)
And at > Süddeutsche Zeitung (DE)
Three trade unions organising health workers are pushing the government to agree higher healthcare spending and pay increases in 2006. They also want to see improved working conditions based on legal regulations. The unions have given the government until 16 June to respond to their demands and promised further and more radical protest action if there is no progress. Read more at > Solidarnosc (EN)
The FNV trade union is involved in two major campaigns. The first, running from 1-5 September, is a nationwide action across health and social care in response to COVID-19. The union wants to see proper recognition of the role played by health and social care workers and is calling for better pay and working conditions, reduced workloads and more autonomy for workers. The FNV is underlining the importance of preparing for a second wave of the pandemic and argues that action is needed to make the health and care sectors more attractive to increase recruitment. Meanwhile, the union is running a
The latest analysis from the WSI trade union research institute shows how pay developments in Germany have fallen behind all other EU Member States. Since 2000 real wages in Germany have fallen by 0.8%, the only EU Member State where there has been a decline. Several countries, particularly among the New Member States, recorded increases over this period of more than 30% and even seven of the EU-15 saw real wages increase by more than 10%. The report suggests that negative wage drift is a particular German problem with some locally negotiated increases falling below what is agreed at sectoral
