A tax-free bonus to compensate for inflation? The state officials in the southwest will have to wait for this for the time being. Prime Minister Kretschmann does not want to go it alone - and refers to the collective bargaining parties.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - In the debate about a tax-free subsidy to compensate for inflation for civil servants and employees in the state, Baden-Württemberg will not go it alone. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann has rejected the corresponding demands from the unions for a bonus of up to 3,000 euros. "Something like that belongs in collective bargaining rounds," said the head of government of the German Press Agency. "We won't be the only country to backtrack. That would be extremely disloyal to other countries."
Verdi had suggested the bonus in a letter to Kretschmann. The union argues that the next round of regular collective bargaining in the federal states is still too far away to be able to compensate for the current financial difficulties of the employees. The country has about 190,000 civil servants and around 140,000 employees. The free economy is already making good use of the tax-free subsidy.
Kretschmann (Greens) emphasized that Baden-Württemberg is in a collective agreement with other countries. "We will stick to that."
The trade union, on the other hand, is of the opinion that the next round of collective bargaining in the federal states in the coming autumn will focus in particular on achieving a long-term equalization of purchasing power. "The tax and duty-free premium payment cannot meet this goal," says the letter to the Prime Minister. "Your grant is not dependent on next year's collective bargaining and should not be made dependent on the collective bargaining round."
At the end of September, the federal government gave the green light for the planned tax-free employer allowance, which is intended to cushion high inflation. Premiums paid by the employer are to be tax-free up to an amount of 3,000 euros by the end of 2024. The prerequisite for tax exemption is that the money is paid in addition to wages. In addition, the employer must make it clear that this is a lump sum in connection with the price increases. In the case of social benefit recipients, the premium should not be taken into account as income.
