Germany’s upper house approves higher minimum wage, €12 per hour

The statutory minimum wage in Germany will rise to 12 euros per hour (12.89 U.S. dollars) in October, after a vote in the upper house of parliament on Friday.

Currently, the minimum wage is 9.82 euros.

On July 1, it will rise to 10.45 euros, at the same time, the maximum remuneration for so-called “mini-jobs” will rise from 450 to 520 euros per month in October.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, from the Social Democratic Party, had made the wage increase a key promise of his election campaign in 2021.

The opposition had argued that the minimum wage would not protect people against further price increases.

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According to them, there are other ways to increase purchasing power and keep Germany’s economy competitive.(dpa/NAN)