German parliament approves controversial national minimum wage

Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, passed on the 3 July 2014 a much debated nationwide minimum wage deal. It had been a flagship project of the Social Democrats, who had to put up with many exemptions to get it accepted by their Grand Coalition CDU partners.

On 1 January 2015 Germany will introduce a universal minimum wage of €8.50 an hour for the first time.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: German cabinet approves national minimum wage bill http://www.europeansources.info/record/german-cabinet-approves-national-minimum-wage-bill/

BBC News, 03.07.14: Germany approves first-ever national minimum wage http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28140594

France24, 03.07.14: German lawmakers vote to adopt minimum wage http://www.france24.com/en/20140703-germany-lawmakers-adopt-minimum-wage-economy-jobs/

EurActiv, 03.07.14: Bundestag approves Germany's first universal minimum wage http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/bundestag-approves-germanys-first-universal-minimum-wage-303282

The Local.de, 03.07.14: Parliament passes minimum wage bill http://www.thelocal.de/20140703/parliament-passes-minimum-wage-germany

EUObserver, 03.07.14: Germany adopts minimum wage http://euobserver.com/economic/124865

EurActiv, 28.07.14: ECB backs Bundesbank call for higher German wages http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/ecb-backs-bundesbank-call-higher-german-wages-303737

Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies: Article, 24.03.14: Minimum Wage http://www.forum-ekonomiczne.pl/article/minimum-wage/?lang=en#.VD6MsxCN4_8

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