Brandenburg's Minimum Wage Gap: DGB Calls for 15 Euro Tender Minimum, Görke Demands Stricter Inspections
In Brandenburg, a significant number of employees are not receiving the minimum wage. The DGB state branch chairwoman, Katja Karger, has called for a tender minimum wage of 15 euros to address this issue. Meanwhile, Christian Görke demands stricter inspections to combat minimum wage fraud.
Currently, 14.8% of employees in collectively agreed businesses and 38.4% in non-unionized businesses in Brandenburg earn less than 15 euros per hour. The statutory minimum wage is set to increase to 13.90 euros in 2026 and 14.60 euros in 2027. However, Andreas Kutsche (BSW) and Christian Görke (Left) argue that this is not enough to protect against poverty and have called for a minimum wage of 15 euros.
Last year, only 606 minimum wage inspections were conducted in Brandenburg, down from 781 in the first half of 2022. This resulted in 1,355 administrative offense proceedings and 174 fines, totaling 237,028 euros demanded. Common fraud methods include underpaying employees for extra hours worked. The state government has committed to enforcing a fair minimum wage for public contracts, demanding tariff adherence and an 'anti-poverty' minimum wage above the legal minimum, currently set at 12.82 euros per hour from January 1, 2025.
The DGB state branch is considering adjusting the minimum wage for tenders to at least 15 euros. Christian Görke demands more inspections and increased financial control to combat minimum wage fraud. The state government has committed to stronger controls and no compromises on fair minimum wage standards for public contracts.
