economy
February 24, 2026
Many Serbs Will Not Like This: Minimum Wage Abolished for These Jobs, Our Workers Left Without Guaranteed Pay!
The proposal by the Association of Southern Baden Districts to no longer apply the minimum hourly wage to seasonal workers has been unanimously adopted, German media report. The document states that an exception to the current minimum wage rules should be made for workers engaged in seasonal agricultural work.
TL;DR
- The Association of Southern Baden Districts unanimously adopted a proposal to exempt seasonal agricultural workers from the minimum hourly wage.
- The proposal is supported by the CDU/CSU, who have been considering changes to the minimum wage principle for seasonal workers.
- This potential change could significantly impact the large Serbian diaspora working in Germany, estimated at over 260,000 people.
- Coalition partners, particularly the SPD, and opposition parties like The Left, strongly oppose the exemption, emphasizing the right to a poverty-protecting wage.
- The minimum wage in Germany increased to 13.90 euros per hour in 2024, with plans for a further increase to 14.60 euros in 2025.
- Proponents of the exemption argue it's necessary for the competitiveness of German agriculture, citing lower tax contributions from seasonal workers and their higher earnings relative to their home countries.
- Data indicates that seasonal workers constitute about 28% of all agricultural employees in Germany (242,800 people), with a significant portion being women.
- Many agricultural tasks, such as harvesting, are labor-intensive and rely heavily on seasonal workers due to a lack of domestic labor and incomplete automation.
- The proposal argues that the minimum wage weakens the competitiveness of domestic farms and impacts food supply security.
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