Not even half of the people in the Free State are employed in collective bargaining companies – “an all-time low”. The Social Democrats are therefore calling for contracts to be linked to standards.
The SPD faction accuses the state government of being almost the only federal state to resist a collective bargaining law. With such a regulation, public contracts would only be awarded to companies that pay according to tariffs. “We will not accept that, because collective agreements not only bring more money in our pockets, but also better working conditions,” said parliamentary group leader Florian von Brunn on Tuesday at the start of the SPD winter retreat. “The Free State must set a good example here when awarding contracts.”
According to current data, not even half (49 percent) of the people in Bavaria are employed in collective bargaining companies – “an all-time low”, in 2010 it was still 62 percent. The SPD now wants to present a draft again, even if such initiatives have so far been blocked by the CSU. Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil joined the 22 Bavarian state parliamentarians and is planning such a law for the federal government. Brunn hopes that the Berlin traffic light partners, the Greens and the FDP, will join his project in the state parliament. The focus of the exam opening was a fair job market. The chairwoman of the social committee, Doris Rauscher, said: “In this area it’s not about gifts, it’s about dignity.”
Heil debated with the parliamentary group about his plans in the federal government: “We want to ensure more fairness on the labor market. That’s why the minimum wage will be increased to twelve euros this year. We promised people that and we’re sticking to it.” Millions of employees benefited from this, especially women, who often worked in systemically important jobs and deserved more respect for their work. Heil also referred to the short-time work allowance as the “most stable bridge” in the pandemic, with it having succeeded in “avoiding an earthquake on the German labor market”. Brunn said that without this and other SPD projects, the Bavarian economy would be in a far worse position.
Until Thursday, the faction is dedicated to tenant protection and housing as well as health care, including in rural areas. Guests are Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher, Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter and the new State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health, Sabine Dittmar from Lower Franconia. Brunn also shot a tip against the Greens at the start. Craftsmen and practitioners are relevant for the social-ecological turn – “not the green-leaning web designer who debates climate protection and drinks cappuccino on the side”. In the federal elections in Bavaria, the SPD did better than the Greens; for years, however, the Greens had been ahead of the Social Democrats in elections and polls.