Greens and Left demand €15 minimum wage in Germany

The Greens and the Left Party in the Bundestag are calling for an increase in the minimum wage in Germany to €15. The two separate motions are scheduled to be discussed in the plenary session on Friday. "It cannot be that people in Germany work hard every day and still have too little money in their pockets at the end of the month to live off," Green Party parliamentary group leader Katharina Dröge told the AFP news agency.

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Dröge continued: "We need a minimum wage that truly protects against poverty. A minimum wage of 15 euros would be fair and could guarantee that everyone can live from their work." Dröge pointed out that the SPD had advocated for a minimum wage increase during the election campaign. "But in the coalition agreement, this important issue was left open in the dispute." A law must guarantee "that the minimum wage is always above the poverty line."

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Questions about the future level and determination of the minimum wage were one of the first conflicts in the new coalition government. The SPD did not rule out legislative intervention, while the CDU/CSU insisted on the independence of the Minimum Wage Commission. The CDU, CSU, and SPD had committed to the commission, which includes representatives of employees and employers, in the coalition agreement.

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This should be "based on both collective bargaining developments and 60 percent of the gross median wage of full-time employees within the framework of an overall assessment," according to the coalition meeting. A minimum wage of €15 in 2026 is considered "achievable." Since the beginning of the year, it has been €12.82.

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Both the Green and Left Party motions call for a guaranteed increase in the minimum wage to €15. "Despite regular adjustments, the gap between the minimum wage and the poverty line has not decreased noticeably," the Green Party motion complains. 

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The Left Party faction criticized the minimum wage as "too low from the start." "It's high time for an increase, because the current minimum wage leads directly to old-age poverty, even for full-time employees," explained Left Party faction leader Heidi Reichinnek. "It's good that a very large portion of the country recognizes this injustice."