German finance minister says risk of wage price spiral is real

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner delivers his speech at an election campaign of Schleswig Holstein’s Totally free Democrats (FDP) for the approaching state elections in Kiel, Germany, May 7, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

BERLIN, Could 9 (Reuters) – Germany’s finance minister warned on Monday that rising wages could further more lover inflation, including that get-togethers associated in collective bargaining had a responsibility to assist prevent that from going on and that one-off payments may well be required.

German inflation hit an yearly 7.8% in April, the highest in additional than four many years, which is envisioned to gasoline wage requires.

Wage agreements for some 10 million employees are up for re-negotiation in Germany this calendar year, according to the German federation of trade unions. Strong union IG Metall very last thirty day period raised eyebrows with a demand from customers for an 8.2% pay hike for above 70,000 steel workers.

“The risk of a wage price spiral is genuine,” Christian Lindner informed Reuters on Monday.

Lindner, who is also leader of the enterprise-helpful FDP bash, mentioned that the companies and unions negotiating wage agreements experienced a excellent accountability in preventing the wage price spiral, including that they experienced in the earlier always lived up to it.

“There are currently indicators that a person-time payments could perform a purpose this year,” Lindner stated.

He also explained that the federal government will have to ease perceived inflationary force on net incomes.

“We intend to do particularly that with relief packages,” he said.

Germany’s ruling coalition in March agreed a second package of actions in as quite a few months to give its men and women some aid from soaring electricity, heating and fuel costs. study more

Reporting by Christian Kraemer Producing by Maria Sheahan
Editing by Alison Williams

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