Despite the war and crisis, August is all about the summer break. Nevertheless, there are new rules for employees, pupils and students, certain professional groups and for farmers or consumers. What changes in the high summer month.
From August 2022, new rules will apply to employment contracts. The adjustment was necessary because an EU directive requires greater transparency. All new employment relationships must be described in more detail in the future. Not only the amount of the salary, but also overtime pay, surcharges, allowances, bonuses, special payments as well as their due date and the type of payment must be specified.
And not only the agreed working hours belong in the employment contract in the future, but also the agreed rest breaks and rest periods and, if necessary, regulations on the shift system, the shift rhythm and the requirements for shift changes. In the case of an existing company pension scheme, the pension provider must also be named.
Incidentally, the new rules do not only apply to new contracts. From August, holders of older employment contracts also have the right to have their employer add the new regulations.
The BAföG reform comes into effect on August 1st. It should be easier to apply for the training grant and it should apply to training starts up to the age of 45 instead of the previous 30. There are also 5.75 percent higher requirement rates, and the allowances for granting training support will be increased by 20.75 percent. The housing allowance increases by 35 euros to 360 euros.
The BAföG will become more attractive, modern and flexible with the various measures, says Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP). Former BAföG recipients can also benefit from the reform: According to the minister, the possibility of waiving the remaining loan debt after 20 years is also granted to those who are obliged to repay in old cases.
From August 1st, employees in the steel industry will receive a 6.5 percent increase in wages. For June and July 2022 there is an additional energy bonus of 500 euros, trainees receive 200 euros. The collective agreement runs until the end of November 2023.
For stonemasons and stone sculptors, the minimum wage increases to 13.35 euros. And painters and varnishers trainees get 30 euros more per month in the first year of apprenticeship, so from August 740 euros. In the second year of training it is 815 euros (instead of 780 euros). In the third year, 980 euros will end up in the account at the end of the month (previously 945 euros).
The EU digitization directive, which will take effect in Germany on August 1, is intended to simplify the formation of companies and the establishment of branches throughout Europe. Establishing a GmbH or KG should be easier and cheaper.
According to the Federal Ministry of Justice, the guideline contains a number of regulations for the obligation to introduce the online formation of the GmbH and online procedures for register applications for corporations and branches. The submission and disclosure of documents and information in the commercial and company register as well as the cross-border exchange of information via the European system of register networking is also regulated.
On August 16, it was planned - based on the law for more safety in the supply of medicines, which has been in force since 2019 - that pharmacies should not only be allowed to exchange generics, but also so-called biosimilars. These are medicines that are very similar to other biological medicines already marketed in the EU that are off-patent.
A certain variability, which also occurs with original products, is also permitted with biosimilars. And similar to generics, they are cheaper. But the start was postponed by a year. Pharmacies will not be allowed to sell biosimilars as generics until August 18, 2023.
The pharmaceutical industry warns against automatic exchange in pharmacies. The “Medical Tribune” reports that there are fears of enormous cost pressure from discount agreements in this area as well. According to Walter Rohrer, Chairman of the AG Pro Biosimilars, companies need a stable environment for high investments. Also, only doctors should be allowed to decide on the use of biosimilars: "Anyone who takes a biosimilar needs medical advice," says Rohrer.
Titanium dioxide (E171) is no longer allowed in food from August 8th. So far, the substance has been used to color many foods white – from baked goods and spreads to soups, sauces, dressings and dietary supplements. Based on a scientific opinion, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that E171 can no longer be considered safe for use as a food additive.
For the first time, the EU is introducing limit values for toxic substances such as cadmium, mercury or arsenic in fertilizers. The corresponding EU regulation has been in place since mid-July. According to the EU Commission, this ensures a high level of soil protection and reduces health and environmental risks.
At the same time, the EU Commission is pleased that the new regulation opens up the EU internal market for organic and waste-based fertilizer products, such as organic and organo-mineral fertilizers, soil conditioners or plant biostimulants. The new rules aim to reduce the risks to the environment and health as well as dependence on imports.
The nine-euro ticket, with which the federal government wanted to relieve the Germans of the high energy prices and encourage them to use public transport more frequently, will only be available in August. But there are discussions about the sequel. For example, Germany's top consumer advocate Ramona Pop spoke out in favor of a 29-euro ticket from September. The sales figures and full trains show that people are really using the nine-euro ticket that expires at the end of August, said the head of the Federal Association of Consumer Centers.
The train drivers' union GDL is against an extension of the nine-euro ticket. Above all, the ticket brought “additional rushes of travellers”, said GDL boss Claus Weselsky. "That's not good for the system, because it's already being run for wear and tear anyway. Now we are also completely overburdened.”
He can therefore only advise against extending the offer. "We're hawking something here, we're pretending that local transport is free." The union boss welcomed the introduction of a nationwide ticket for local transport, but at a "reasonable price".
There is no such controversial discussion about the tank discount. It also ends with the change of month to September. From then on, fuel, whose prices have fluctuated significantly recently, should become significantly more expensive again - and the inflation rate should increase again by a few basis points.
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