Nursing staff should receive significantly more money from September

Created: 2/8/2022Updated: 2/8/2022 12:06 p.m

Doctors and nurses look after patients in one of the treatment rooms of the intensive care unit at Rostock University Medicine.

© Jens Büttner/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa

Nursing staff have been shouldering a heavy burden in the corona pandemic for some time.

Now they are to be better rewarded for their work with significantly increased salaries.

Berlin – The minimum wages for nursing staff in Germany are to increase significantly in several steps from September 1st.

The responsible care committee agreed unanimously on this, as was announced on Tuesday.

According to this, the minimum wages for unskilled workers are to rise gradually by the end of 2023 from the current 12 to 14.15 euros, for qualified unskilled workers from 12.50 to 15.25 euros and for nursing staff from 15 euros to 18.25 euros.

Around 1.2 million employees in Germany work in facilities that fall under the minimum nursing wage.

More money from April

So far, an increase for nursing staff has already been decided, which will take effect on April 1st.

Then an increase in the minimum wage, on which the Commission had already agreed in the past, takes effect: assistants then get 55 cents more per hour (12.55 euros), qualified assistants 70 cents more (13.20 euros), and for nursing staff an increase of 40 cents to 15.40 per hour.

From September 1, the minimum wages will rise even further, as the commission has now decided: Then there will be 13.70 euros per hour for nursing assistants instead of 12.55, qualified assistants will receive 14.60 euros instead of 13.20 and specialists will then get 17 .10 euros (before: 15.40).

In its current decision, the nursing commission also recommends more vacation days.

According to this, employees with a five-day week are to receive an additional seven days in addition to the statutory entitlement for the year 2022, and nine days each for the years 2023 and 2024.

Implementation by regulation

Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) welcomed this decision.

As he recently announced, his house intends to implement the recommendations by ordinance as early as May 1st.

"The significant wage increases are good news for the geriatric nurses in Germany, who tackle every day and take care of the elderly and people in need of care in our society," said Heil on Tuesday.

They are “important steps to noticeably improve working conditions.

We will continue on this path,” explained Heil.

more on the subject

Collective bargaining for private banks continued

Minimum wage is to rise to 12 euros in October – what is the earnings limit for mini jobs?

IHKs warn against raising the minimum wage too quickly

"For many nurses, a higher minimum wage pays off in better pay," said Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD).

However, many employers would already pay their employees “significantly more” for good reasons.

The increase in the minimum wage is therefore "only a first important step on the way to fair remuneration for nursing staff," said Lauterbach.

dpa