Saxony-Anhalt: Union warns of staff shortages in the floristry industry

Magdeburg/Halle (dpa/sa) - The trade union IG BAU warns of staff shortages in flower shops and garden centers in Saxony-Anhalt and calls for an adjustment in income.

Saxony-Anhalt: Union warns of staff shortages in the floristry industry

Magdeburg/Halle (dpa/sa) - The trade union IG BAU warns of staff shortages in flower shops and garden centers in Saxony-Anhalt and calls for an adjustment in income. According to observations, the more than 200 employees in Magdeburg and Halle often earned little more than ten euros per hour, the union announced on Wednesday. According to the information, floristry employs 1040 people throughout Saxony-Anhalt.

While employees in western Germany are already earning an hourly wage of 13 euros, the income of florists in the east is well below the statutory minimum wage of 12 euros that will apply from October. Many of the employees could soon leave the industry in search of higher wages.

For the old federal states, the Association of German Florists (FDF) has agreed with IG BAU on wage increases of up to 24 percent. In the east, the companies blocked a reasonable plus, according to the union. The trade union criticized that the florist employers had recently only offered an hourly wage of 12.10 euros for East Germany. The IG BAU demands that the starting salary for skilled workers nationwide should be well over 13 euros per hour - and thus above the future statutory minimum wage.