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Brüderle accused of blocking minimum wage for care workers

Public workers’ union Verdi on Tuesday accused Economy Minister Rainer Brüderle of blocking a new deal to provide a minimum wage for those who care for the sick and elderly.

Published: 11 May 2010 08:14 CEST

Brüderle accused of blocking minimum wage for care workers

Photo: DPA

Under the March agreement between workers and employers such as nursing homes and community care providers, caregivers in western parts of the country will receive at least €8.50 per hour while those in the former east, where living costs remain lower, will get at least €7.50 an hour.

But the Labour Ministry has confirmed that the Economy Ministry, led by pro-business Free Democrat (FDP) Brüderle, has issued a request to delay the deal until the end of 2011. His party, the junior coalition partners to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), has traditionally been opposed to minimum wages.

“The attempt by Mr. Brüderle to block the care providers’ minimum wage is as scandalous as it is revealing,” Verdi board member Ellen Paschke told daily Berliner Zeitung. “While he refuses to take action against financial sharks and speculators, the people in the care industry should at least see the fruits of their labour.”

Meanwhile the Labour Ministry, led by the CDU’s Ursula von der Leyen, is said to be advocating for the original agreement, which will cover about 800,000 nursing home staff and people who provide home-based care to the sick or elderly.

After six months of consultations, the care commission of the Labour Ministry agreed on the minimum wage in late March, based on a compromise between workers and employers, though this must still be approved by the cabinet.

Germany is expected to need tens of thousands of extra caregivers in coming years as the population ages.

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Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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