Johan treats Johan drinks… The chancellor Olaf Solz and federal government ministers will be among the wider public sector workers who will receive the government’s ‘inflation allowance’ amounting to 3000 euros, reveals the BILD newspaper, citing a relevant draft law of the Ministry of the Interior.

About 2.5 million workers in federal, state and municipal enterprises are to receive a tax-free allowance of €3,000 to offset increases in goods and services due to high inflation. The provision is provided for by the collective labor agreement, while corresponding provisions are included in the sectoral agreements of many branches of the private sector, such as the metal industry, electricity and pharmaceutical companies. Employees of the wider public sector will receive an additional €1,200 in June and €220 each month from July to February. Accordingly, the pensioners of the State will receive an allowance according to the percentage of their last salary that they receive. The maximum percentage is 71.5% and therefore they will receive an allowance of 2152.50 euros.

But according to BILD, a draft law of the interior ministry now stipulates that Chancellor Olaf Solz and federal government ministers are entitled to the extra amount.

Criticism is already coming from Taxpayers Association: “There’s still no federal budget for 2024 because there can’t be enough cuts and ministers get an inflation allowance? Totally wrong message! The chancellor and the ministers should set a good example and give up such an allowance,” union president Rainer Holznagel told the newspaper. The Ministry of the Interior pointed out that the draft law is still in the preliminary stage of processing.