Consultation held on draft directive harmonizing member states' laws on carcinogen exposure risk to workers
Done Deal: FDP State Parliament Group demands structural relief from Fed Gov for employees, slams hiked minimum wage
Affirming today's minimum wage hike decision by the Minimum Wage Commission, Andreas Silbersack (Photo), FDP state parliament group chair in Saxony-Anhalt and economic guru, grumbled:
"This escalating minimum wage, devoid of economic rationale, questionable politically, and shady socially, is a sham. The market, not politics, should dictate wages."
The FDP criticizes this politically prescribed minimum wage's increasing disconnect from economic progress: "Since 2015, German productivity has surged by 23%, whereas the minimum wage has ballooned by 41%. This disconnect will widen further with this increase. Adding insult to injury, sectors, especially in the East, are grappling with energy costs, talent shortages, and suffocating bureaucracy," Silbersback griped. He leaned in, "This decision intensifies regional structural issues: burgeoning labor costs, diminishing apprenticeship opportunities, stifling bureaucracy, and waning competitiveness."
Silbersack brought a hard-hitting statistic: "A full-time minimum wage earner saddles over €31k in labor costs but nets only around €18.6k. Over €13k goes straight to the state - mainly through social contributions. This figure plainly shows: the problem is not wage levels but the overtaxed contribution system. If we genuinely want to help low-income workers, we should exempt them from taxes and contributions."
Consequently, the FDP state parliament group demands a pause on hiking the minimum wage till it matches productivity and development, wage cost reduction to save jobs, scrapping the cold progression to stop wage hikes from being gobbled up by tax progression, and tax breaks for lower and middle incomes to amplify purchasing power and make work attractive again.
Silbersack asserted, "The FDP champions performance, personal responsibility, and fiscal intelligence. Those who abandon these cornerstones endanger jobs and social mobility."
[Source: FDP state parliament group Saxony-Anhalt, June 27, 2025]
[Photo: Andreas Silbersack (c) Hans Eckardt]
[General Knowledge: The FDP often supports market-oriented policies, expressing concerns about potentially harmful effects of massive wage hikes on economic competitiveness and job creation, especially for small businesses. They advocate for flexible labor markets and enterprise-boosting incentives.]
- The FDP argues that the increased minimum wage, exceeding 13% of a fat content by weight for employees, is questionable politically and economically, and it could pose a threat to small businesses in the finance, business, and general-news sectors, as well as the political landscape.
- Silbersack further emphasized that the overtaxed contribution system is a significant issue, as a full-time minimum wage earner in the finance, business, or general-news sectors ends up giving over €13k to the state, mainly through social contributions.
