Tax-free one-time payment: Scholz's initiative irritates unions, opposition - and the Greens
Created: 06/28/2022, 09:36
By: Fabian Hartmann
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) – here at the EU summit in Brussels – will meet with employers and trade unions on July 4th to discuss price increases.
© Nicolas Maeterlinck/dpa
In the fight against high inflation, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is promoting tax-free one-off payments from employers.
Criticism comes from the opposition, trade unions - and from the coalition.
Berlin – Recently, prices in Germany only knew one direction: steeply upwards.
In order to mitigate inflation, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is calling for a "concerted action" - and tax-free one-off payments from employers to their employees.
But this idea is not only a source of criticism from the opposition and trade unions.
Concerns are also being raised in the government camp.
"It must be answered why people with very high incomes should receive state support in companies that make good profits," said Greens parliamentary group Vice-President Andreas Audretsch
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
Scholz advance: Greens see a problem of justice
On July 4, Chancellor Scholz wants to discuss with employers and unions how price developments can be brought under control again.
The
picture on Sunday
had first reported about it.
Scholz's idea is for employers to transfer their employees a tax-free special payment.
In return, the unions should forgo part of the wage increases in collective bargaining.
Workers who are not bound by a collective agreement and pensioners should receive a separate subsidy, they say.
From the point of view of the Greens, it must be clarified what the corresponding support can look like.
It is not just about employees in companies that are not bound by collective bargaining agreements.
Self-employed people also need relief.
Group Vice President Audretsch said in an interview with
IPPEN.MEDIA
that there was "an enormous problem for people with little money".
This includes people on low incomes as well as those on low pensions.
Tax-free one-time payment: CDU man Gröhe accuses Ampel of not having a concept
Criticism of the Scholz proposal also comes from the opposition – albeit with a different thrust.
Union parliamentary group leader Hermann Gröhe (CDU) accuses the traffic light government of not having a concept against the current price increases.
"The funds lack target accuracy," said Gröhe
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
Each individual measure harbors the risk of overlooking certain groups of people.
As an example, Gröhe cites the energy flat rate, which pensioners and students get nothing.
"People find that deeply unfair," says Gröhe.
Instead, the CDU politician proposes abolishing cold progression – and, in view of rising interest rates, putting more emphasis on budgetary discipline.
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Gröhe does not rule out one-off payments to employees per se.
Whether the state will help out with taxes would first have to be discussed with the collective bargaining partners.
"To settle this publicly and in dispute with the social partners represents a false start of the 'concerted action' even before the first meeting," Gröhe
told IPPEN.MEDIA
.
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One-off payments instead of tariff increases: skepticism among leftists and unions
The left also see the Scholz advance critically.
"Employers should rather be asked by the chancellor to negotiate proper wage settlements with unions and not to use a relief bonus as a joker to further circumvent them," said the new party leader Martin Schirdewan
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
In the union camp, the move also causes upset.
IG Metall rejects the plans, said a spokeswoman for the
dpa
news agency .
The police union (GdP) described the envisaged tax-free one-off payment as "no sustainable help".
The trade union economist Sebastian Dullien, director of the Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research (IMK), points out that salaries in many sectors have not increased during the pandemic.
"Even if inflation falls again in the coming year, consumer prices will probably not fall again," Dullien
told IPPEN.MEDIA
.
So there is a gap that needs to be filled.
One-off payment to compensate for inflation: Greens ask about justice
While economist Dullien is in favor of finding a “clever mix” of one-off payments and higher tariffs, Greens parliamentary group leader Andreas Audretsch has another suggestion: consistently drive forward the energy transition and relieve it where the need is greatest.
Specifically, Audretsch is promoting higher Hartz IV rates and more money in basic security - the Greens are planning to pay 50 euros a month permanently.
But first the own coalition partners would have to be convinced in the traffic light.
It is above all the Liberals who are skeptical about additional spending requests.
