As sure as the sun will rise, the Germans will introduce new laws at the beginning of each new month. Here are the new regulations for August 2014.
Work and salary
Minimum wage
Starting today, most professions will be introducing minimum wage renumeration. Hairdressers will now earn €7,50 in the West and €6,50 hourly. Gerüstbauer will earn at least €10 an hour.
For those working in the meat industry, the salaries will increase to €7,75.
The Maler and Lackierer also receive an increase: with an Ausbildung, it rises to €12,15 while for those without it gets to €9,90.
Legal fees
If you need a lawyer, then from today it will cost you more. The cost of using a lawyer will increase by 12% while for a notary it will increase by 15%. The court fees will also increase by 18%.
Ausbildung
There will be revisions of some Ausbildungen.
Orthopädietechniker Ausbildung will require a more detailed look into Prothesen und Rehabilitationsmittel
The Weinküfer Ausbildung will now be Weintechnologe and will include advanced methods of producing wine.
The Klempner Ausbildung will also be reviewed but the name will remain the same.
The former Ausbildung known as KfZ-Mechaniker, changed to Kfz-Mechatroniker or Mechaniker für Karosserieinstandhaltungstechnik und Kfz-Servicemechaniker, these have all been merged again and are now Mechatroniker.
Banking
SEPA becomes the official identification method for bank accounts and in money transfers. Read: All you need to Know about SEPA.
Health
Health Insurance
Those who are publicly insured, but haven’t been paying for their insurance and therefore incurred debt. The Säumniszuschläge will be reduced from 5% to 1%. This is to ensure they are able to pay for the incurred costs.
Prescription Drugs
The price for prescription drugs will increase by 16% from today.
Family
Betreuungsgeld will go up from €100 to €150. Children born after 1st August 2012 are legible.
Taxes
From August 1st, couples in partnerships will be regarded as married couples when it comes to their tax declaration.
Social
Bike Lights
From today those riding bicycles are allowed to use lights that use batteries. You no longer have to use dynamo powered lights.
TV
RTL will be withdrawing their stations from the DVB-T transmission in Munich and Southern Bayern. In December 31st, this year, they will withdraw from the rest of the country.
