MINIMUM WAGE OF 14EUR - THE SPD DECEIVES THEIR VOTERS
Little noticed by the media, the traffic light coalition recently prevented the minimum wage from being increased to EUR 14. In doing so, it is openly opposing the German trade unions, more than two thirds of the German population and even the EU.
By Konstantin Schink
By Konstantin Schink
It's hard to believe: sensible suggestions are also coming from Brussels. In October 2022, the European Council and European Parliament agreed on a new directive, which is to be implemented by the member states within two years. On the one hand, this guideline recommends that collective bargaining coverage should increase to 80%. Germany, with collective bargaining coverage of 44%, was miles away from this goal.
On the other hand, the minimum wage should rise to 50% of the average wage or 60% of the median wage in the respective country, which would noticeably reduce income inequality, working poverty and old-age poverty in many EU countries. The minimum wage in Germany would have to rise to around EUR 14 in 2024 in order to meet this requirement. Such an increase also enjoys broad support among the German population. According to a survey by Forsa, 69% of respondents support a minimum wage of EUR 14.
Now some will object: "Wait a minute! The minimum wage has only been increased by around a quarter to EUR 12!" This is of course correct in nominal terms, but in reality the increase is much lower than the SPD and the Greens promised in the 2021 election campaign. For the first time, the global economy recovered relatively in 2021 strong, which drove up the inflation rate. And shortly after the traffic light took office, the European Union began an economic war against Russia, which caused raw material prices and, with a little delay, consumer prices to explode German consumer price index rose by 17%. The increase was particularly strong in the areas of food (+28%) and energy (+40%), which are difficult to substitute and consume a larger share of income, especially for poorer households than for richer ones.
Following this, the three representatives of the trade unions in the Minimum Wage Commission called for an increase in the minimum wage to EUR 14 in 2023, the three representatives of the entrepreneurs tried to actually undermine the previous minimum wage increase through the back door and demanded a minimum wage of EUR 12.41. The Green Party representative Florian Kern was on the side of the unions, the FDP representative Lars Feld, who is also Lindner's chief economist in the Ministry of Finance and a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, took the side of the employers. The deciding vote now came from the chairwoman of the commission: the SPD representative Christiane Schönefeld. She stood against the unions and used her vote to prevent the minimum wage from being adjusted to EUR 14.
This also makes it clear that the Minimum Wage Commission is not, as many neoliberals claim, a neutral institution that would act independently of politics. On the contrary, it is a political institution in which the representatives of the federal government decide whether the unions or the entrepreneurs prevail. It's a pretty absurd idea anyway and shows a technocratic understanding of politics to want to depoliticize political decisions such as the level of the minimum wage. It shows sheer mockery towards the electorate when politicians from the governing parties are then placed on this supposedly neutral and apolitical commission and ultimately let them make the decisions. It cannot be repeated often enough: an SPD representative prevented a minimum wage of EUR 14 against the will of the unions. That was a decision by the SPD and not that of a neutral and independent commission.
But what did the media do? They hardly reported this fact at all, enabling the SPD to carry out a truly breathtaking campaign to deceive voters. This is what the Tagesschau wrote on July 3, 2024:
"Party leader Lars Klingbeil wants a proper increase. He talks about 13.50 euros or even 14 euros. That is considerably more than the commission actually responsible calculated and suggested by the majority."
The fact that the decision of the actually responsible commission was based on the vote of an SPD politician is not mentioned. The SPD first prevents the minimum wage increase to EUR 14, then wants to campaign with this demand and our public quality broadcasting hides this blatant contradiction from the reader - a pattern that will repeat itself.
The Sahra Wagenknecht alliance submitted a proposal to the Bundestag to increase the minimum wage to EUR 14. But this application was rejected by the AfD, the Union and all traffic light factions. The SPD once again prevented an increase in the minimum wage despite demands to the contrary.
And the Tagesschau once again reliably fulfilled its task as an SPD propaganda medium. She wrote a few weeks after the vote on May 16, 2024:
"The debate was sparked by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's demand to gradually increase the minimum wage to 15 euros. At the same time, the SPD politician criticized the minimum wage commission. "Employers have only insisted on a mini-adjustment."
This type of "journalism" really represents a mockery of all fee payers. The SPD twice prevented an increase in the minimum wage to EUR 14, Scholz then called for a larger increase, shifted the blame to the employers, the Tagesschau printed this completely absurd statement unchallenged and Then he also dares to falsely claim that Scholz had triggered a debate with his lying demand. The debate about adjusting the minimum wage to the current price shock has been raging since the Minimum Wage Commission prevented this adjustment to EUR 14 through the vote of the SPD.
The conclusion of this article is only a certain perplexity. As long as the media doesn't report it properly, politicians like Scholz or Klingbeil can lie to voters. What is really a shame is the very poor to non-existent reporting in large parts of the alternative media about the facts described here. The critics of public law can see themselves confirmed. The ÖRR should be completely reformed or, if this is not possible, abolished.
"The skillful journalist has a weapon: silence - and he makes use of this weapon often enough."
Kurt Tucholsky
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21.05.24
Konstantin Schink (born November 8, 2001) graduated from high school in Lower Saxony in 2021. He is currently studying economics and politics in the 2-subject bachelor's program and runs the YouTube channels "Agitator of the Social Market Economy" and "Secondary Agitation."
On the other hand, the minimum wage should rise to 50% of the average wage or 60% of the median wage in the respective country, which would noticeably reduce income inequality, working poverty and old-age poverty in many EU countries. The minimum wage in Germany would have to rise to around EUR 14 in 2024 in order to meet this requirement. Such an increase also enjoys broad support among the German population. According to a survey by Forsa, 69% of respondents support a minimum wage of EUR 14.
Now some will object: "Wait a minute! The minimum wage has only been increased by around a quarter to EUR 12!" This is of course correct in nominal terms, but in reality the increase is much lower than the SPD and the Greens promised in the 2021 election campaign. For the first time, the global economy recovered relatively in 2021 strong, which drove up the inflation rate. And shortly after the traffic light took office, the European Union began an economic war against Russia, which caused raw material prices and, with a little delay, consumer prices to explode German consumer price index rose by 17%. The increase was particularly strong in the areas of food (+28%) and energy (+40%), which are difficult to substitute and consume a larger share of income, especially for poorer households than for richer ones.
Following this, the three representatives of the trade unions in the Minimum Wage Commission called for an increase in the minimum wage to EUR 14 in 2023, the three representatives of the entrepreneurs tried to actually undermine the previous minimum wage increase through the back door and demanded a minimum wage of EUR 12.41. The Green Party representative Florian Kern was on the side of the unions, the FDP representative Lars Feld, who is also Lindner's chief economist in the Ministry of Finance and a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, took the side of the employers. The deciding vote now came from the chairwoman of the commission: the SPD representative Christiane Schönefeld. She stood against the unions and used her vote to prevent the minimum wage from being adjusted to EUR 14.
This also makes it clear that the Minimum Wage Commission is not, as many neoliberals claim, a neutral institution that would act independently of politics. On the contrary, it is a political institution in which the representatives of the federal government decide whether the unions or the entrepreneurs prevail. It's a pretty absurd idea anyway and shows a technocratic understanding of politics to want to depoliticize political decisions such as the level of the minimum wage. It shows sheer mockery towards the electorate when politicians from the governing parties are then placed on this supposedly neutral and apolitical commission and ultimately let them make the decisions. It cannot be repeated often enough: an SPD representative prevented a minimum wage of EUR 14 against the will of the unions. That was a decision by the SPD and not that of a neutral and independent commission.
But what did the media do? They hardly reported this fact at all, enabling the SPD to carry out a truly breathtaking campaign to deceive voters. This is what the Tagesschau wrote on July 3, 2024:
"Party leader Lars Klingbeil wants a proper increase. He talks about 13.50 euros or even 14 euros. That is considerably more than the commission actually responsible calculated and suggested by the majority."
The fact that the decision of the actually responsible commission was based on the vote of an SPD politician is not mentioned. The SPD first prevents the minimum wage increase to EUR 14, then wants to campaign with this demand and our public quality broadcasting hides this blatant contradiction from the reader - a pattern that will repeat itself.
The Sahra Wagenknecht alliance submitted a proposal to the Bundestag to increase the minimum wage to EUR 14. But this application was rejected by the AfD, the Union and all traffic light factions. The SPD once again prevented an increase in the minimum wage despite demands to the contrary.
And the Tagesschau once again reliably fulfilled its task as an SPD propaganda medium. She wrote a few weeks after the vote on May 16, 2024:
"The debate was sparked by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's demand to gradually increase the minimum wage to 15 euros. At the same time, the SPD politician criticized the minimum wage commission. "Employers have only insisted on a mini-adjustment."
This type of "journalism" really represents a mockery of all fee payers. The SPD twice prevented an increase in the minimum wage to EUR 14, Scholz then called for a larger increase, shifted the blame to the employers, the Tagesschau printed this completely absurd statement unchallenged and Then he also dares to falsely claim that Scholz had triggered a debate with his lying demand. The debate about adjusting the minimum wage to the current price shock has been raging since the Minimum Wage Commission prevented this adjustment to EUR 14 through the vote of the SPD.
The conclusion of this article is only a certain perplexity. As long as the media doesn't report it properly, politicians like Scholz or Klingbeil can lie to voters. What is really a shame is the very poor to non-existent reporting in large parts of the alternative media about the facts described here. The critics of public law can see themselves confirmed. The ÖRR should be completely reformed or, if this is not possible, abolished.
"The skillful journalist has a weapon: silence - and he makes use of this weapon often enough."
Kurt Tucholsky
Quellen
Quelle 1
Quelle 2
Quelle 3
Quelle 4
Quelle 5
Quelle 6
Quelle 7
Quelle 8
Quelle 9
21.05.24
Konstantin Schink (born November 8, 2001) graduated from high school in Lower Saxony in 2021. He is currently studying economics and politics in the 2-subject bachelor's program and runs the YouTube channels "Agitator of the Social Market Economy" and "Secondary Agitation."
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