SPD boss calls for 15 euros minimum wage for Munich
Munich – If the washing machine were to break down tomorrow, he would have a huge problem, says Sascha, 33 years old. Because at the end of the month his account is empty. He doesn’t have a buffer that he could spend on a repair or on a spontaneous vacation.
Sascha works as a housekeeper. The bottom line is that he gets 1,400 euros. He also drives out food for Lieferando two or three days a week. He gets 450 euros for pedaling around 50 kilometers a day in all weathers. He started the job when he was sent on short-time work during Corona. At that time he was still a waiter and quickly realized that the short-time work allowance in Munich was not enough if there was no tip.
“I work 43 hours a week and still nothing is left over”
In the meantime, he has opted for distance learning from his part-time job. “I work 43 hours a week and there is still nothing left over. It just doesn’t feel fair,” he said.
From autumn Sascha could have a little more money available. Then the minimum wage is to be raised from 9.82 euros to 12 euros. Mini-jobbers like Sascha also benefit from that. Your earnings limit should rise from 450 to 520 euros. In Munich alone there are 70,000 people who have a part-time job alongside their main job.
According to the SPD, a total of 90,000 people in Munich should benefit from the minimum wage increase. That is about every tenth person who works in Munich. According to Simone Burger (SPD), the chairwoman of the German Trade Union Confederation in Munich, these include not only unskilled workers, but also hairdressers, bakery salespeople and florists who have received training.
The new minimum wage only provides a little relaxation
“The fact that the minimum wage has increased to twelve euros is a big leap,” says Burger. You spoke to people in Munich who are happy that they will soon no longer have to study the supermarket brochures for the offers. Nobody wants to talk about it publicly, says Burger. “Especially in Munich, the shame of earning so little is great.”
And how much does this salary increase actually bring in Munich, where a coffee costs as much as a currywurst in other German cities? “The new minimum wage is definitely not a reason to gossip,” says delivery driver Sascha. “At most an opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief.”
His colleagues who work full-time at Lieferando also tell him that the new minimum wage is far from rich. They would currently get eleven euros an hour, says Sascha. After the 100th delivery, there is a bonus of one euro for each additional journey. “Many feel such pressure that they drive extra fast, extra daring just to get the bonus.” Someone always has an accident. Sascha is certain: “You can hardly make ends meet in Munich on an hourly wage of 15 euros.”
Increase in the minimum wage: There is a lot of criticism from employers
The SPD leader in Munich, Christian Köning, sees it that way too. He, too, considers the increase in the minimum wage to be a “giant step”. But the next one has to follow, he says. Köning calculates: With a minimum wage of twelve euros, an employee earns around EUR 1,500 net. But the rent for a 60 square meter apartment in Munich is often 900 euros. 600 euros remain. “There is no real social participation,” says Köning.
He therefore demands that the minimum wage for particularly expensive regions such as Munich must be higher. The SPD leader proposes 15 euros for Munich. As early as 2018, the Hans Böckler Foundation calculated that the minimum wage in Munich must be EUR 12.77. At that time, the minimum wage was 8.84 euros. In order for people to be able to secure a livelihood in Munich, they would have to earn 45 percent more, the analysis found at the time.
The trade unionist Burger also believes that a higher minimum wage in Munich is right. But first the twelve euros for all of Germany would have to be secured. Because there is a lot of criticism from employers, she says. Many of his colleagues doubt that the new minimum wage will actually be introduced, says Sascha. “Many have lost confidence in politics.”
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