General agreement on minimum wage in the temporary sector. Ursula von der Leyen, Federal Minister of Employment and Social Affairs, openly rejoiced, on Thursday, March 24th, of the amendment to the Act on Temporary Employment Businesses. The latter determines the framework within which foreign employees can work in Germany. It also helps contain social dumping in sectors exposed to competition by imposing statutory minimum wage: “With the introduction of minimum wage, preventing social dumping via foreign collective agreements” she said when commenting the only amendment agreed on by all the MPs, except Die Linke (left wing) MPs.
Starting on May 1st, when workers from the new EU Member States are allowed to come and offer their services in Germany, the 900,000 German temporary workers will be covered by sectoral minimum wage – €7.79 an hour in western Germany and €6.89 in the east. These rates were negotiated by the two temporary employers’ organizations and the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB). This amendment was necessary to rectify a provision voted in 2003 by the social-democratic and green majority. Indeed
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