German employers get creative to skirt new minimum wage

德企腦洞大開避付最低工資

German employers get creative to skirt new minimum wage

From charging slaughterhouse workers for their knives to compensating staff with tanning salon vouchers, German employers are coming up with creative ways to avoid paying a new minimum wage, angering unions.

從對屠宰場的屠夫收取刀子使用費到用美黑沙龍（tanning salon）代金券做員工補貼,德國的雇主們為了不支付最低工資,想出了許多有創意的方式,這一行為也激怒了工會.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government introduced Germany's first nationwide wage floor of 8.50 euros per hour early this year. The law was the brainchild of the Social Democrats (SPD), who made it a condition of joining Merkel's coalition in 2013.

今年年初,德國總理安吉拉•默克爾（Angela Merkel）領導的政府出臺首個全國最低工資標準,為每小時8.50歐元.這項法案由社會民主黨在2013年提出,并以此作為與默克爾聯合執政的條件.

The centre-left party argued that it was a necessary response to the sharp rise in low-wage jobs over the past decade. Some 3.7 million people were expected to benefit.

中左翼黨派認為,針對過去十年內涌現出大量低薪工作崗位的現象,有必要實施這一舉措.約370萬德國人民有望受益.

But in the months since it went into effect it has become clear that not everyone is taking home more pay. The NGG food and catering union is fielding up to 400 calls a day from people who say their employers are finding ways to circumvent the law.

但事實證明,這項法律生效的幾個月后,并不是每個人都能拿到更多的工資.德國食品餐飲公會（NGG）的員工們每天接到多達400個電話.人們表示,他們的老板正在想辦法避開這項法律規定.

"We're seeing some employers display an awful lot of creativity to get round paying the minimum wage," Burkhard Siebert of the NGG said.

NGG的員工伯克哈特•西伯特（Burkhard Siebert）說："我們發現,為了逃避給員工們支付最低工資,一些雇主真是創意無窮."

He said some workers were no longer getting paid for overtime. Others are being charged for drinks and clothing they are required to wear on the job.

他還表示,很多員工加班已經不再有加班費了.還有的員工要為飲料和上班穿的工作服付費.

German Labour Minister Andrea Nahles has admitted to implementation problems but said she had not yet heard anything to suggest the law may need to be changed. The far-left Linke party say it was "botched" and contains too many loopholes.

德國勞工部長安德里亞•那勒斯（Andrea Nahles）承認,法律實施過程中出現了一些問題,但表示她并沒聽到任何關于需要改變這一法律的提議.極左黨派"左派黨"（Linke）認為這項法律很糟糕,存在許多漏洞.

Butchers have complained that they must pay a fee of up to 100 euros per month to use knives they need to cut meat. Bakers say they are being paid in buns and bread instead of cash.

屠夫們抱怨說,他們每個月必須要為切肉的刀支付高達100歐元的使用費.面包師們則表示,他們的工資是小點心和面包而不是現金.

Bernd Bischoff, who runs an advice center for contractors in the city of Oldenburg, said the meat industry was especially affected. Workers from southeast Europe were being charged more for accommodation to offset the cost of higher wages.