It was intended as an incentive for the long-term unemployed to take and keep a new job. But now the governing parties want to drop the planned 1,000 euro bonus again.
A 1,000 euro bonus planned by the government for long-term unemployed people who take a job and keep it for at least a year is met with criticism across the parties. The SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag spoke out on Sunday in favor of dropping the plan. Politicians from the Greens, FDP and the Union also expressed their opposition. The cabinet decided to change the law to modernize unemployment insurance and job promotion on Wednesday. At the same time, tougher sanctions were introduced against people receiving community benefit, such as immediate cuts if they refused work that was deemed reasonable.
The 1,000 euro bonus is intended to “strengthen the taking up of regular, long-term employment relationships,” explained the Ministry of Economic Affairs. “Long-term unemployed people should actually be able to overcome and leave basic state security.” The aim is to prevent early relapse into the social system.
Disunity in the coalition
Die Bildnewspaper on Saturday wrote that the bonus was “thought up” by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens). His ministry rejected this. In fact, it is a joint project by the federal government as part of the growth initiative. The social policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Martin Rosemann, told the newspaper: “The start-up financing was an express wish of Robert Habeck. As specialist politicians in the SPD, we share the concerns that the Ministry of Labor has always expressed.” The SPD did support the instrument as part of the overall package of changes to citizens’ benefits. “But if criticism is now also expressed from the Green group and the FDP also shares the concerns, then there is little reason to stick to it.”
Social expert Frank Bsirske (Greens) said Bildhe doesn’t think the bonus is necessary. “The vast majority of people on citizen benefit take a job anyway if they have the chance.” The FDP budget politician Frank Schäffler said: “The project is absurd. Expenses are already exploding. The bonus must be stopped in the Bundestag.” CSU General Secretary Martin Huber criticized in the Bildthe 1,000 euro bonus is “sheer mockery for those who have been doing their job for years”. The traffic lights endanger social peace and thus add even more fuel to the fire. There was also criticism from the CDU employee wing. “This of course makes everyone despair who goes to work five or six days a week and still barely makes ends meet with their wages,” said the chairman of the Christian Democratic Workers’ Association (CDA), Dennis Radtke, in the newspapers Funke Media Group. (AFP)
