Workers minimum wage

Spain's government has agreed a four percent salary rise for the country’s lowest earners in 2018 and a further increase up to 850 euros a month by 2020, if and only if specific economic growth and employment targets are met. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy reached an agreement with trade unions and company representatives on Tuesday which will see the country's lowest paid workers receive 28.4 euros more a month in 2018.  By 2019, Spain's minimum wage will theoretically be raised to 773 euros, a 5 percent increase, and in 2020 it will go up to 850 euros a month, which equates to a 10 percent rise. “(Spain has suffered) an intense devaluation of it salaries,” Unai Sordo, leader of Spain's largest union, the Workers' Commissions, said after signing off on the agreement. “This is a boost to rebuild the salaries of people who lost most in the economic crisis.” Spain’s unions can consider the decision a victory, having long called for … [Read more...] about Spain to raise minimum wage to 736 euros a month

The canton of Neuchâtel can go ahead with plans to introduce a minimum wage after Switzerland's highest court rejected an appeal by opponents of the idea. However its introduction was suspended after several professional organizations and private individuals challenged the plan in court. But on Friday the Swiss Federal Court in Lausanne rejected the appeal, saying that the proposed minimum wage of 20 francs “conforms to the constitutional principle of economic freedom and to federal law”. In a statement, the court said the canton had the right to introduce social policy measures, and that the introduction of a minimum wage was in part motivated by social aims.  The minimum wage aimed to guarantee every worker a decent standard of living without having to resort to social welfare, therefore fighting against the phenomenon of ‘working poor', it said. However to ensure that the minimum wage does not encroach upon economic freedom, the level should be … [Read more...] about Neuchâtel to become first Swiss canton to introduce minimum wage

The German minimum wage was just introduced for the first time at the start of last year, and government estimates say that the policy directly benefits 3.7 million workers. But there's one group of workers that it has apparently not helped so much: interns. Interns in Germany must be paid the €8.50 per hour minimum wage under certain conditions, for example if they work more than three months at a non-required internship and have completed a university degree. Since the introduction of the minimum wage, surveys have showed that the number of internship positions has dropped throughout the country. To reverse this decline, members of Angela's Merkel's CDU (Christian Democratic Union) party and its sister party the CSU (Christian Social Union) have proposed abolishing the minimum wage “All internships which are made during studies or training, regardless of whether it is a voluntary or required internship, should always be minimum wage-free,” wrote the CDU's … [Read more...] about Merkel’s party mates push to end minimum wage for interns