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Mindstelønninger
Udtrykket "mindstelønninger" betegner forskellige lovbestemte grænser for, hvor lav en løn arbejdsgivere må betale arbejdstagere. Lovbestemte mindstelønninger reguleres af formelle love eller vedtægter. Overenskomstmæssige mindstelønninger fastsættes i overenskomster mellem fagforeninger og arbejdsgivere.
De fleste EU-medlemsstater har indført en lovbestemt national mindsteløn, men niveau, tilpasningsmekanismer og dækning er forskelligt. Østrig, Danmark, Finland, Italien og Sverige har mindstelønninger, der er fastsat i overenskomster, mens Cypern har lovbestemte satser for forskellige erhverv.
EU-institutionerne proklamerede i fællesskab den europæiske søjle for sociale rettigheder i november 2017, som fastsætter EU's forpligtelse til at arbejde for rimelige lønninger til arbejdstagere. Dette omfatter at sikre passende lønninger til arbejdstagere, der giver dem og deres familie mulighed for at have en rimelig levestandard og at sikre lavtuddannedes og unge arbejdstageres muligheder for at finde beskæftigelse, samtidig med at det gøres økonomisk attraktivt at arbejde.
Den nye Kommission, der tiltrådte i december 2019, gentog denne forpligtelse og satte et reforminitiativ om en EU-mindsteløn på dagsordenen. Kommissionens vision for et stærkt socialt Europa baner vej for en handlingsplan for gennemførelsen af den socialesøjle . Den 28. oktober 2020 fremsatte Kommissionen et forslag til et EU-direktiv om passende mindstelønninger efter to høringsrunder med arbejdsmarkedets parter i februar og juni. Målet er, at alle arbejdstagere i EU senest i 2024 skal have en rimelig og passende løn, uanset hvor de bor.
· Kvinder er overrepræsenteret blandt modtagere af mindstelønninger i næsten alle medlemsstater, uanset hvordan modtagere af mindstelønninger defineres.
· Én ud af 10 arbejdstagere i EU tjente omkring mindstelønnen (± 10 %) i 2017.
· I 2019 var der mange EU-lande, der drøftede en yderligere væsentlig stigning i mindstelønnen efter 2020, dels i forhold til et relativt mål, dels i absolutte tal.
· De lovbestemte mindstelønninger er blevet mere rimelige i forhold til andre arbejdstageres lønninger siden begyndelsen af dette årtusind, når man sammenligner de lovbestemte mindstelønninger med medianlønnen for alle arbejdstagere.
· På trods af denne opadgående tendens ligger mindstelønnen i de fleste lande fortsat under 60 % eller endda under 50 % af medianlønnen. Dette gælder især i de central- og østeuropæiske medlemsstater, som startede på et meget lavt niveau i begyndelsen af årtusindet, og som fortsat har mål på omkring eller under 50 % i deres mindstelønslovgivning.
· Samlet set oplyser 7 ud af 10 arbejdstagere, der oppebærer mindsteløn, at det til en vis grad er vanskeligt at få enderne til at mødes, sammenlignet med mindre end 5 ud af 10 andre arbejdstagere. Disse tal varierer dog betydeligt på tværs af landene. F.eks. finder mindre end 10 % af arbejdstagerne på mindsteløn i Danmark, Finland, Tyskland og Sverige det vanskeligt til meget vanskeligt sammenlignet med 50 % til 60 % i Bulgarien, Kroatien og Cypern, og 80 % i Grækenland.
· Regeringerne i Europa reagerer med foranstaltninger til stabilisering af indkomster for dem, der er berørt af covid-19-krisen. Mindstelønninger kan spille en rolle i policy-mixet til stabilisering af indkomster og dermed bidrage til at modvirke en nedadgående spiral mod økonomisk tilbagegang eller økonomisk krise.
· Eurofounds EU PolicyWatch-database viser også, at regeringer ofte har henvist til de lovbestemte mindstelønninger, når de fastsætter øvre eller nedre tærskler for niveauet for indkomststøtte, f.eks. i forbindelse med arbejdsfordeling.
· Især sektorer og erhverv med en større andel af mindstelønsmodtagere er stærkt påvirket af covid-19-pandemien: Arbejdstagere i landbruget (15 % minimumslønmodtagere i sektoren og ca. 20 % inden for visse landbrugsjob), detailhandel (13 %) og rengøringspersonale og omsorgspersoner (25 %) er blandt dem, der holder et samfund i gang i en tid med fysisk afstand og nedlukning.
Andre sektorer og erhverv med en større andel af mindstelønsmodtagere — navnlig arbejdstagere inden for hotel- og restaurationsbranchen (16 %), kunst og kultur, underholdning, fritidsaktiviteter og husholdningsarbejde (14 %) og social- og sundhedsmedarbejdere (16 %) — var blandt de sektorer, der hurtigt oplevede virkningerne af de folkesundhedsmæssige foranstaltninger ved covid-19-pandemiens udbrud.
Infographic: Minimum wages in the EU
Most EU Member States have a statutory minimum wage. But its level, adjustment mechanisms and coverage vary.
Eurofound’s e-survey on Living, working and COVID-19 shows that nearly half of households are struggling to make ends meet.
Eurofound provides regular updates on pay in the EU, including an annual study on how minimum wage rates have developed across the EU (as well as Norway and the UK), reviewing how national governments and social partners engage in setting new rates. It also looks at the concept of a living wage, aimed at guaranteeing workers and their families a decent level of living and social participation in response to the inadequacy of income for many working households reliant on existing statutory minimum wage rates.
Pay developments
The annual review on minimum wages for 2023 summarises how minimum wage rates were set during 2022.
In an earlier study on pay in Europe in the 21st century , Eurofound explored the implications of a hypothetical scenario of a minimum wage coordinated at EU level and set at 60% of the median national wage.
COVID-19 is likely to impact the ongoing minimum wage debate, as many workers delivering essential services during the pandemic are at the bottom of the pay ladder, like workers in retail, food-supply chains or care roles. Others low-wage workers, like workers in the accommodation and food sector, or in leisure and entertainment services, have been the first affected by unemployment. With unemployment on the rise, it will be important to see how minimum wages can contribute to the policy mix governments and social partners are currently applying to cushion the economic and social impacts. Eurofound’s e-survey on Living, working and COVID-19 shows that nearly half of households are already struggling to make ends meet. Minimum wages could play a policy role in stabilising incomes.
Most EU countries have a statutory minimum wage. A related but distinct concept is that of a living wage, which is a wage designed to secure a basic but acceptable standard of living for its earner (and, in some cases, household dependents). The living wage rate is based on a detailed, regularly updated costing of the basic services and goods required for such a standard of living and is intended in part to reflect the inadequacy of prevailing statutory minima for that end. Living wage campaigns are generally voluntary and rely on coalitions of interest groups, trade unions and employers working together. These campaigns can take on an advocacy role (Ireland) as well as an accreditation role (UK) where organisations are formally accredited as living wage employers. In line with the fair wage provisions set out in the Social Pillar, Eurofound research aims to provide policymakers with a practical guide to the living wage concept.
Most EU Member States have a statutory national minimum wage in place, although its level, adjustment mechanisms and coverage vary. Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy and Sweden have minimum wages set within collective agreements, while Cyprus has statutory rates for different occupations.
The EU institutions jointly proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights in November 2017, setting out the EU’s commitment to fair wages for workers. This includes ensuring adequate wages for workers to allow them and their families to have a decent standard of living, safeguarding the ability of the low-skilled and young workers to find employment, while also making work financially attractive.
The new European Commission, which took office in December 2019, reiterated this commitment, putting a reform initiative for an EU minimum wage on the agenda. The Commission’s vision for a strong social Europe prepares the way for an Action Plan to implement the Social Pillar. On 28 October 2020, the Commission put forward a proposal for an EU Directive on adequate minimum wages. This was followed by a political agreement between the European Parliament and the Member States on 7 June 2022. The Minimum Wages Directive was adopted in October 2022. The aim is that by 2024 all workers in the EU should earn a fair and adequate wage, no matter where they live.
In this pilot project, Eurofound successfully established the feasibility of, and piloted, an EU-wide database of minimum pay rates contained in collective agreements related to low-paid workers. A conceptual and...
In the EU, non-compliance with statutory or negotiated minimum wages averages 6.93% or 1.3%, depending on the statistics used. The lowest national estimate is 0.01% in Belgium and the highest...
Den årlige gennemgang af mindstelønninger i 2023 er udarbejdet i en tid med en hidtil uset inflation i hele Europa. Selv om dette førte til store stigninger i de nominelle...
Denne rapport gennemføres inden for rammerne af det treårige pilotprojekt (2021-2023), "Mindstelønnens rolle i forbindelse med indførelse af en universel arbejdsgaranti", som Europa-Kommissionen har uddelegeret til Eurofound. Der fokuseres på...
This series reports on developments in minimum wage rates across the EU, including how they are set and how they have developed over time in nominal and real terms. The...
Minimum wages have risen significantly in 2022, as the EU Member States leave behind the cautious mood of the pandemic. However, rising inflation is eating up these wage increases, and...
Blog
Igangværende arbejde
Eurofound udsender løbende opdateringer om lønninger i EU, herunder en årlig gennemgang af, hvordan mindstelønssatserne har udviklet sig i EU (samt Norge og Det Forenede Kongerige), og redegør for, hvordan nationale regeringer og arbejdsmarkedets parter arbejder med at fastsætte nye satser. Eurofound ser også på begrebet "løn, der muliggør et eksistensminimum", som har til formål at sikre arbejdstagere og deres familier en rimelig levestandard og deltagelse i samfundslivet som en løsning på problemet med en utilstrækkelig indkomst for mange erhvervsaktive husstande, der er afhængige af eksisterende lovbestemte mindstelønssatser.
Lønudvikling
Den årlige gennemgang af mindstelønninger for 2021 sammenfatter, hvordan mindstelønningerne blev fastsat i 2020 — et år præget af covid-19-pandemien. I gennemgangen beskrives de vanskeligheder, nationale beslutningstagere stod over for, og hvordan de reagerede på de udfordringer, der opstod som følge af pandemiens økonomiske og sociale konsekvenser, da de skulle træffe beslutning om mindstelønninger. Gennemgangen kortlægger, i hvilket omfang mindstelønninger blev nævnt i covid-19-relaterede støtteforanstaltninger. I gennemgangen drøftes de fremskridt, der er gjort med hensyn til EU-initiativet om passende mindstelønninger, og reaktionerne fra arbejdsmarkedets sociale partnere på EU-plan og fra nationale beslutningstagere kortlægges.
I en tidligere undersøgelse om lønninger i Europa i det 21. århundrede så Eurofound nærmere på konsekvenserne af et hypotetisk scenarie med en mindsteløn, der koordineres på EU-plan og fastsættes til 60 % af den nationale medianløn.
Covid-19 ventes at påvirke den igangværende debat om mindstelønninger, da mange arbejdstagere, der leverer væsentlige tjenester under pandemien, befinder sig nederst på lønskalaen, såsom arbejdstagere i detailhandel, fødevareforsyningskæder og plejefunktioner. Andre lavtlønnede arbejdstagere, såsom arbejdstagere i hotel- og restaurationsbranchen eller inden for fritids- og underholdningstjenester, er som de første blevet ramt af ledighed. Med den stigende ledighed er det vigtigt at se på, hvordan mindstelønninger kan bidrage til det policy-mix, som regeringer og arbejdsmarkedets parter i øjeblikket anvender for at afbøde de økonomiske og sociale konsekvenser. Eurofounds e-undersøgelse Living, working and COVID-19 (Liv, arbejde og covid-19) viser, at næsten halvdelen af husholdningerne allerede kæmper for at få enderne til at mødes. Mindstelønninger kan spille en politisk rolle, hvad angår en stabilisering af indkomster.
Mindsteløn i forhold til løn, der muliggør et eksistensminimum
De fleste EU-lande har en lovbestemt mindsteløn. Et dermed forbundet, men særskilt begreb er "løn, som muliggør et eksistensminimum". Det handler om en løn, der skal kunne sikre en grundlæggende, men acceptabel levestandard for den, der oppebærer lønnen (og i nogle tilfælde forsørgelsesberettigede personer). En eksistenssikrende løn er baseret på en detaljeret, løbende opdateret beregning af omkostningerne for de grundlæggende tjenesteydelser og varer, der er nødvendige for en sådan levestandard, og den skal til dels afspejle utilstrækkeligheden af de gældende lovbestemte minimumssatser. Kampagner om eksistenssikrende lønninger er generelt frivillige og er baseret på et samarbejde mellem interessegrupper, fagforeninger og arbejdsgivere. Sådanne kampagner kan have en fortalerrolle (Irland) såvel som en akkrediteringsrolle (Det Forenede Kongerige), hvor virksomheder formelt akkrediteres som arbejdsgivere, der forpligter sig til at betale eksistenssikrende lønninger. Eurofounds analyser har, i overensstemmelse med bestemmelserne om rimelige lønninger i den sociale søjle, til formål at give politiske beslutningstagere en praktisk vejledning i begrebet "løn, som muliggør et eksistensminimum".
På anmodning af Europa-Parlamentet og Kommissionen vil Eurofound gennemføre et pilotprojekt om ændringer i mindstelønninger i EU fra 2021 til 2023. Yderligere oplysninger findes i afsnittet "Igangværende arbejde" nedenfor.
Christine Aumayr-Pintar is a senior research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. Her current research topics include minimum wages, collectively agreed wages and gender...
Carlos Vacas Soriano is a research manager in the Employment unit at Eurofound. He works on topics related to wage and income inequalities, minimum wages, low pay, job quality...
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