Minimum wage for Germany from 2015

The German coalition agreement setting out the programme for the government over the next four years includes a commitment to introduce a statutory minimum wage for all employees.

The rate will be set at €8.50, the figure the unions called for. However, although the minimum wage will start to be introduced from 1 January 2015, collective agreements setting lower rates will continue to be valid until the end of 2016.

From 1 January 2017, the €8.50 rate will apply to all employees.

Germany is the largest EU country without a national minimum wage. The other states without one are: Italy, Austria, Cyprus and the three Nordic states in the EU, Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

€1 was worth 84p on 12 December.