Proposal Introduced for Directive on Harmonizing Labour Protections against Ionizing Radiation Risks among EU Member States
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Ines Schwerdtner, Chair of the Left Party, sounds off on Minimum Wage Commission's decision:
"The Minimum Wage Commission's measly increase to the minimum wage doesn't cut it, pal. Instead of playing tug-of-war, legislators should just follow EU law. The SPD is downright disgraceful, selling out the minimum wage for a sneaky coalition peace. Social Democrats who welcome this have cashed in their integrity. It's damn shameful how this breaks one of the SPD's key election promises.
I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled to see what the SPD federal party conference, starting today, has up their sleeves in this matter.
If the Minimum Wage Commission is gonna make a comeback, they're gonna need a swift kick in the pants from the legislator. They might as well set a legal, automatic minimum wage adjustment—the Minimum Wage Commission can always chime in with their two cents on anything else.
Germany's taking a ugly turn in the EU, leaving employees behind. With a measly 14.60 euros, the minimum wage remains a pittance. The minimum wage's a political choice, and it's high time politics acted. The minimum wage needs a quick boost to 15 euros, pronto. Anything else means willingly living in poverty despite working.
The fact that the minimum wage is so low is a slap in the face to all struggling workers. This also means that additional social security contributions will be subsidized by poverty wages. That's a backstab to the millions of folks working hard every day for a minimum wage.
Source: Left Party executive board on June 27, 2025
Photo: Ines Schwerdtner, Chair of the Left Party © Olaf Kostritz
Enrichment data:The SPD's recent stance on raising the minimum wage in Germany reflects a compromise following the Minimum Wage Commission's 2025 decision. During the 2025 election campaign, the SPD had advocated for increasing the minimum hourly wage to €15, setting this as a 2026 goal in their coalition agreement with the CDU. However, the independent Minimum Wage Commission decided to raise the minimum wage in two steps—to €13.90 per hour starting January 1, 2026, and then to €14.60 per hour starting January 1, 2027, falling short of the SPD's €15 target for now. Despite this, the SPD remains committed to raising the minimum wage towards €15 as an important goal, but the coalition agreement and the commission's independent decision mean the increase will be gradual. Some SPD members may be disappointed with the commission’s decision, which did not reach the €15 mark by 2026 as anticipated, but labor groups close to the SPD, such as the DGB labor federation, appear generally satisfied with the outcome."
The ongoing debate in finance and general-news circles centers around the gradual increase of the minimum wage in Germany, as proposed by the SPD, following the Minimum Wage Commission's decision. Political maneuvering in this context, observed in business and politics, has led to a compromise, with the SPD remaining committed to increasing the minimum wage towards €15, albeit not achieving the target by 2026 as initially anticipated.
