News for operators of petrol stations and car washes in Germany. The minimum wage is to rise in two stages to 14.60 euros on January 1, 2027. Today, the minimum wage is 12.82 euros.
The Minimum Wage Commission decides on the adjustment every two years. Here, top representatives of trade unions and employers negotiate with each other. The federal government then implements the decision by ordinance. The previous decision on today's minimum wage had been passed against the vote of the trade unions with the vote of the independent commission chairwoman Christiane Schönefeld.
Schönefeld spoke of a viable compromise that would ensure a balance between the interests of employees and companies. With a view to publicly expressed expectations about a minimum wage of 15 euros – this is what the SPD is demanding – she spoke of very difficult talks.
The chief negotiator of the German Trade Union Confederation, Stefan Körzell, said it had been "tough negotiations". The employers' chief negotiator, Steffen Kampeter, criticised the great pressure that had been exerted on the Commission from the political side in recent months.
For weeks, however, there had been disagreement in the body, according to negotiation circles. If the independent minimum wage commission had not come to an agreement, the legislator could have acted. The SPD, which is holding a party conference in Berlin, had demanded a minimum wage of 15 euros during the election campaign.
The coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and Social Democrats had refrained from making a concrete commitment. "For the further development of the minimum wage, the Minimum Wage Commission will be guided by both the collective bargaining development and 60 percent of the gross median wage of full-time employees as part of an overall assessment," it says in accordance with the legal requirements for the commission. "In this way, a minimum wage of 15 euros in 2026 is achievable."
Full story 2027: Minimum wage rises to 14.60 euros
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