On 7 and 8 February 2017, Parliamentary State Secretary Anette Kramme was in Georgia for a two-day visit and met with Labour Minister David Sergeenko (photo).
The current debate in Georgia on the introduction of a minimum wage was the focus of the trip. At the invitation of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Parliamentary State Secretary Kramme discussed Germany’s experiences with the minimum wage with representatives from trade unions, employers and government. In Germany there were also numerous reservations, especially from business, before the introduction of the minimum wage
, said Parliamentary State Secretary Kramme. Two years of positive experiences have been encouraging: Four million workers have more money from wages in their bank accounts, and there are more employees in socially insured jobs. The economy is shouldering this burden effortlessly, and we are still on a strong growth path.
The Parliamentary State Secretary encouraged the participants to continue the debate openly and constructively in order to find the best path for the Georgian labour market and the Georgian economy by working together.
In further official talks with members of Georgia’s Parliament and Labour Minister David Sergeenko Parliamentary State Secretary Kramme was informed about the situation of workers and in the Georgian labour market. Other topics included pending reforms in the field of labour law and pension policy. The trip also included a round of talks with representatives from civil society, a company visit, and an informational visit to the monitoring mission of the European Union. Its task is to monitor the situation in and around the areas of conflict in South Ossetia and Abkhazia following the 2008 Caucasus war.