Germany: Minimum wage laws passed

Legislation was adopted in February 2009 to apply binding minimum wage levels to six new sectors, and to set minimum rates in sectors with little or no collective bargaining.

Following approval by the Upper House (Bundesrat) of Parliament on 13 February 2009, the two relevant items of legislation, dealing with different aspects of low-wage employment, have now passed into law after a lengthy period of debate within the Conservative-Social Democrat coalition Government.