In June, the independent Minimum Wage Commission will decide on an increase in the statutory minimum wage from 2026. The German Printing and Media Industries Federation is calling on the Federal Ministry of Labour not to interfere politically in the minimum wage debate. In a statement to the Minimum Wage Commission and the Federal Ministry of Labour, the BVDM criticises the threat to increase the minimum wage to 15 euros by law as an unacceptable interference in collective bargaining autonomy.
The BVDM is committed to ensuring that future minimum wage increases continue to be based on the collective bargaining index in order not to jeopardise employment and collective bargaining autonomy. The determination of the minimum wage must remain in the hands of the independent minimum wage commission and must not be influenced by political guidelines.
Despite earlier promises that the increase in the minimum wage to 12 euros would remain a one-off process and contrary to the commitment to the independence of the Minimum Wage Commission, which was only just agreed in the coalition agreement, legislative intervention is to take place again if the Commission does not reach the desired result. In the BVDM’s view, this repeated breach of promise and the associated interference by politicians jeopardises the independence of the Minimum Wage Commission’s work.
The most recent statements by the Federal Minister of Labour underline the urgency of maintaining the independence of the commission through clear guidelines and effectively preventing political interference. Transitional and grandfathering provisions for collectively agreed wages should be regulated for future minimum wage increases in order to respect the agreements of the social partners and their constitutionally protected collective bargaining autonomy.
In its statement, the BVDM also points out the considerable impact that a minimum wage increase would have. In view of the current economic situation, it is to be expected that many companies will not be able to cope with an increase in the minimum wage to 15 euros.
BVDM
The Bundesverband Druck und Medien e. V. (BVDM) is the umbrella organisation of the German printing industry. As an employers’ organisation, political business association and technical trade association, it represents the positions and objectives of the printing industry vis-à-vis politicians, administration, trade unions and the supplier industry. The BVDM is supported by eight regional associations. Internationally, it is organised through its membership of Intergraf and FESPA. The printing industry currently comprises around 6,300 predominantly small and medium-sized companies with more than 99,000 employees subject to social security contributions.
