Contents page 1 — “If a hairdresser earns more, will create the cutting plane more expensive” side 2 — “Financial incentives for tariff binding” On a page
1. January 2019 will be raised the minimum wage to more than nine euros, but Reiner Hoffmann that is not enough. In an Interview, the Chairman of the German trade Union Federation (DGB), why he holds twelve Euro an hour is acceptable and an unconditional basic income refuses explains. The DGB is one of the members of the strongest Union federations in the world.
TIME ONLINE: Mr. Hoffmann, you have made yourself unpopular, because they voted against an unconditional basic income. Why are you against it?
Reiner Hoffmann: Because work is more than earning a living. Work creates social cohesion and enables social participation. A basic income is a kind of silent premium for many so that a few can continue to generate their profits. The idea behind the assumption that we could go out by the automation, the work is Yes. But this is not so. There are new Jobs that require different skills. Why can’t you qualify for a cashier or a Truck driver? A basic income has to do with our idea of a modern social policy.
TIME ONLINE: Is Hartz IV as a forward-looking social policy? After all, the trade unions, Gerhard Schröder, have supported the introduction of unemployment benefit II.
Reiner Hoffmann
Reiner Hoffmann, born in 1955 in Wuppertal, as the son of a Mason, is since 2014, head of the German trade Union Confederation (DGB), of the six million members of one of the largest trade Union associations in the world. Previously, he had worked at the Union-affiliated Hans-Böckler-Foundation, and in Brussels at the European trade Union Institute. He is a member of the SPD.
Hoffmann: That was 13 years ago, as high unemployment prevailed in Germany. And The unions have practiced a massive criticism of the Hartz IV reforms. For example, we have already said at the time that the duration of unemployment benefit I to the number of contribution years necessary to be guided by. We have also criticized the rule sets may not fall below the subsistence minimum.
TIME ONLINE: If you pick the rule sets, will be available to recipients many people with low wages to Hartz IV.
Hoffmann: that is Why we need to increase the minimum wage.
TIME ONLINE: The Minister of Finance has proposed twelve euros. Is that realistic?
Hoffmann: I think that proposal is generally to be welcomed. We know that the current level leads to a pension above the basic protection. In 2020, the minimum wage will be evaluated. This provides the opportunity for the level then a strong raise.
TIME ONLINE: Who should pay?
Hoffmann: The employer. The company will, of course, try the higher wages on the prices. The introduction has shown, however, that the minimum wage had a very positive effect on the economy and that consumers were not burdened excessively. So it will be with a rise in the level. If the hairdresser earned twelve euros per hour, the haircut is more expensive. 80 percent of the workers are not trapped in the low-wage sector and can afford to do that.
Zeit ONLINE: But we can afford it, if a economic crisis arises?
Hoffmann: firstly, in times of the downturn and the recovery belong to the economic climate and secondly, the trade unions have shown that they can overcome severe crises. Do you remember the financial crisis: It’s the unions that have taken care of in the Federal Chancellery to ensure that the short-time working was extended for the money and the two economic stimulus program. Essential for securing employment was that Overtime could be reduced to the working time accounts of many Employees, and it was not so mass redundancies.
TIME ONLINE: The DGB has proposed a Hartz-IV-Reform, but in his position paper does not explicitly against sanctions pronounced. Why?
Hoffmann: We reject the sanctions in their current Form. But I am not opposed in principle to link benefits to specific conditions. This is also important for social cohesion, because it is the workers who Finance with their taxes and contributions to social security systems.
TIME ONLINE: the people parts of the image from the lazy unemployed?
Hoffmann: no, this is nonsense, most people want to work. According to the Federal Agency for work of the Hartz-IV will ever be uttered only three percent of the recipients of sanctions.
TIME ONLINE: And the threat is for the other 97 percent is reasonable?
Hoffmann: no, not at all, if the covers fall to sanctions under the existence minimum. I also think it is wrong that someone can be sanctioned by the job centre that if he refuses a Job he or she thinks is not reasonable. It can’t be that someone-paid job, had many years of a collective bargaining agreement, was paid decently, after twelve months of unemployment, low-wage jobs have to accept. That’s not the point.
