In labor law, the minimum salary It is the minimum remuneration that employers must correspond to their employees, be it calculated on an hourly, daily or monthly basis. The opinions on the approval of the minimum wages are conflicting: if on the one hand it is seen as a law against social inequalities and to reduce the poverty And irregular work, others argue that it represents damage to companies and that can generate an increase in unemployment for less qualified workers. In Italythe absence of a minimum salary law leaves the salary protection entrusted to union agreements. However, in 2023 a law was proposed that would introduce a minimum salary of 9 euros per hour.
The bill on the minimum salary in Italy
Currently, in Italy The minimum salary is protected only thanks to collective agreements Negotiations from trade union representatives, but a real law is missing. The 4 July 2023 one was presented bill To introduce the minimum wage: the proposed amount, of 9 euros the hourwould not only concern subordinate workers, but also self -employed and parasubordinated workers, that is, that particular case halfway between self -employment and an employee in which continuous work takes place such as the subordinate but without the constraints of subordination. The 9 euro threshold would serve to protect the bands of workers who are the victim of irregular work or the less qualified ones that are often found in conditions of exploitation. In Italy In fact, the remuneration of workers are established by collective bargaining (CCNL = National Collective Agreement). However, there are cases in which an entrepreneur may not apply any CCNL or not take it into consideration. According to the supporters of the minimum salary, the latter would guarantee one adequate remuneration For a free and dignified life, avoiding that collective bargaining contributes to increasing social inequalities, lowering wages.
The minimum wage in Europe
In the European Union there is no one law unanimous on the minimum wage, but they are 22 out of 27 The European countries that have set a minimum remuneration threshold for workers by law. Exist two forms of minimum wages: those set by law, defined statutoryand those agreed collectively through intersectoral agreements between trade union organizations and employers. While the minimum salary defines the slightest salary for a worker, collective bargaining also deals with negotiating wages beyond this threshold. THE 5 European countries That Not have still approved a law On the minimum salary and which fix wages still based on collective bargaining are: Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Italy And Sweden. The other 22 countries are divided into three bands depending on the extent of the monthly workers’ monthly remuneration.
European countries that have approved the minimum wage
The countries of the European Union that present a minimum wage more than € 1 500 I am: Luxembourg which is the country with the highest nominal minimum wages (2 638 euros), followed by Ireland (2 282 euros), Netherlands (2 193 euros), Germany (2 161 euros), Belgium (2 070 euros) e France (1 802 euros). Note that of the first group The only country to have a minimum salary below 2 000 € is France. The second band includes two countries with a minimum national salary above 1 000 euros But less than 1 500 euros per month: they are Slovenia And Spain. Finally, a third band includes countries with a minimum national salary less than 1 000 euros: these countries are Cyprus, Portugal, Malta, Lithuania, Greece, Poland, Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Latvia, Romania, Hungary And Bulgaria. If we then look at the candidate countries to enter the European Union, the Türkiye It is the country with the highest minimum salary, equal to 708 euros.
Minimum salary and purchasing power
If you consider the purchasing powerinstead of the nominal value of a salary, the European ranking on the minimum wage changes. The PPS (Purchasing Power Standard), one artificial currency Created by Eurostat, takes into account the price differences between EU countriesoffering a more fair comparison than the nominal value, that does not consider the cost of livingwhich can vary considerably from one country to another. Based on the PPS, the Germany (1 992) exceeds the Luxembourgwhich has the highest minimum wages, while theEstonia (878) presents the lowest minimum salary.
