sponsored with funds of the European Union
Minimum Standards
The statutory minimum wages reflect the economic situation in a country or provide an insight into the cost of living in the according country. For many employees in agriculture and forestry, especially in the central European countries, the statutory minimum wage has an important function. Either they earn the minimum age or their payment uses this standard as a point of orientation.
The Situation in International Comparison:
International Comparison: Minimum Standards
The Situation in Individual European Countries:
AT: Austria
From July 2007 there is a statutory minimum wage (cf. Table).
BE: Belgium
There is a statutory minimum wage in Belgium (Cf. Table).
BG: Bulgaria
There is a statutory minimum wage (Cf. Table).
CH: Switzerland
There is no statutory minimum wage. A number of cantons have defined a relatively binding minimum wage in cantonal legislation, which also applies to agriculture (e. g. canton of Waadt CHF 3,104 / € 1,877, Geneva CHF 3,160 / € 1,887). The minimum wage for employees from the new EU member countries is CHF 3,020 / € 1,827.
The wage level in Switzerland is very high compared with the European Union, and so is the cost of living, etc. UNIA made a comparison with conditions in France (Geneva region) and found that the 'high' wages are relative. Lower contributions to welfare insurance and higher working time without bonuses, etc. show that the actual difference between Switzerland and France is + 10 %-20 %.
When it comes to minimum standards the wholesale groups Migros and Coop play an important role because of certification under Eurepgap/Swissgap and BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) for their producers (farmers). According to UNIA this is just eyewash in order to reduce the need for statutory regulation and to appear friendly to the consumer. Switzerland has not signed ILO Convention 184 (Health and safety at work in agriculture). Neither have the European countries! The Swiss Farmers Association SBV and especially the Swiss Vegetable Farmers Association are against any collective agreement.
CY: Cyprus
The statutory minimum wage is € 665.00, which increases to € 705.00 after six months of employment (equivalent to € 4.01 per hour). The trade union SEK fights for legal recognition of the collective agreements as minimum standards.
CZ: Czech Republic
Since Jan. 1, 2007, the minimum wage for a 40-hour week has been 8,000 CZK per month, or 48.10 CZK per hour. This is the only point that has been stipulated if employer and company union cannot agree on a collective agreement. The collectively agreed minimum wage in agriculture is a little higher: 49 CZK/hour.
DE: Germany
Germany has by now developed a large low-wage sector, in which about 10 % of all employees are working.
DK: Denmark
In Denmark there is no statutory minimum wage.
EE: Estonia
There is a statutory minimum wage (Cf. Table).
ES: Spain
In Spain there is a statutory minimum wage (Cf. Table). That is important for the agricultural workers in the low-wage sector because many are paid according to the minimum wage.
FI: Finland
In Finland there is no statutory minimum wage. In the agricultural sector students and interns are paid 10-30 % less than the minimum wage for agriculture.
FR: France
In France there is a statutory minimum wage (Cf. Table).
GB: United Kingdom
There is a statutory minimum wage in the United Kingdom (Cf. Table). The price index in the United Kingdom is about 15 % higher than the EU average.
GR: Greece
There is a statutory minimum wage (cf. Table).
HR: Croatia
Negotiations on a statutory minimum wage are under way.
HU: Hungary
The statutory minimum wage for 2007 is HUF 65,500 per month per person. It has been laid down in a tri-partite process and published in a Ministry decree. Every employer has to comply with it. Employees working full-time must not be paid a lower monthly wage. This obligation is very important in agriculture where about 50 % of the workers earn the minimum wage.
IE: Ireland
There is a statutory minimum wage (cf. Table).
IS: Iceland
There is no statutory minimum wage.
IT: Italy
There is no statutory minimum wage. The national collective agreement is de facto legally binding. Under § 36 of the Constitution the wage must be sufficient to allow the employee to lead a life with human dignity. The national collective agreement is used as a basis for construing this rule.
LT: Lithuania
The statutory gross minimum wage is 600 LIT (€ 173) per month.
LU: Luxembourg
There are two minimum wages in Luxembourg: The minimum wage for unqualified labour of € 9.07, and the minimum wage for qualified labour of € 10.89 per hour.
The statutory minimum wages and pensions are increased every 2 years in addition to the index-based increase.
LV: Latvia
There is a statutory minimum wage (cf. Table).
MT: Malta
The minimum payment in certain sectors is regulated by the Wage Councils of the Maltese government or by collective agreements for individual industries. Binding legal provisions apply to all workers.
NL: Netherlands
The statutory minimum wage is index-adjusted on January 1 and July 1 every year.
NO: Norway
The minimum wage in Norway is 85 % of the average wage in the industry.
PL: Poland
There is a statutory minimum wage.
PT: Portugal
There is a statutory minimum wage (cf. Table).
RO: Romania
In Romania there is a statutory minimum wage (cf. Table).
SE: Sweden
In Sweden there is no statutory minimum wage.
SI: Slovenia
The statutory minimum wage is € 522.00. In agriculture there are 151 workers earning the statutory minimum wage.
SK: Slovakia
There is a statutory minimum wage. The minimum wage level is calculated on the basis of the average wage of the workers in the previous year using a coefficient that employee, employer, and government representatives negotiate.
TR: Turkey
There is a statutory minimum wage. It is set by a commission for the determination of minimum wages. The Trade Union is represented in the commission.