Poverty rises despite more people in work
As figures show an increase in poverty despite record employment rates, and the potential new government argues about a universal minimum wage, German job centres are suing employers for paying less than €2 an hour.
Published: 26 Nov 2013 14:08 CET
When businesses take on people who have been unemployed, the state will top up low wages via job centres to help them into work, but this has led to many cases where employers are clearly taking advantage of the situation.
Next month a lawyer from Brandenburg will appear in Senftenberg labour court for paying his two office workers an hourly rate of €1.70 - meaning that although they were working, they were almost fully supported by the state.
Last month the same court ordered a firm in Lünnenau to pay a salesman €1,560 in back pay after employing him for just €2.84 an hour. The court said he should have received twice as much. A pizza delivery firm was sued by the Uckermark job centre for paying its workers €1.59, €1.65 and €2.72 an hour.
There are no numbers to show how many people are being paid such pathetic wages, which effectively condemns them to remain dependent on subsistence-level government top-ups, but Berlin and Brandenburg state governments are setting up a working group on the matter.
Such wages, along with part-time jobs and shift-work are some of the reasons why statistics show that although there are more jobs in Germany than ever, the risk of being poor here has risen slightly.
The 'Data Report 2013' issued by the National Statistics Office, shows that last year 41.6 million people in Germany had a job - more than ever before, the Süddeutsche newspaper reported on Tuesday.
German farm girls calendar 2014
The German farm girls calendar has returned for another year for fans of rustic erotica. This year the farm girls have teamed up with Alpine girls giving the calendar a mountain theme. There have been farmer calendars for centuries but Swiss publisher Magic Fox Media introduced a farm girls calendar a few years ago to show a more glamorous side to working on the land. The calendars featured young women from farms across the country.
How to get (and keep) a German visa
In JobTalk this week The Local speaks to an immigration lawyer to find out how to get and keep working and residence permits in Germany.
Published: 18 Nov 2013 17:09 CET
For non-EU citizens, staying in Germany for longer than three months requires a residence permit. This can be a tricky process, as visa expert Christoph Von Planta from VPMKattorneys in Berlin explained.
Where do I need to go to get a visa?
If you're from one of the “best friend” countries Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, Korea, New Zealand or the US you can come into the country without a visa and apply for a work permit or, if you're staying for longer than three months, a residence permit. This means going to the Ausländer-Behörde [foreigners' registration office]. People from other countries need an entry visa as well, which can be acquired from their own country.
Since the summer it has been possible for people from the “best friend” countries to get a working visa from your home country at the German embassy, even if you've never lived in Germany.
This means avoiding the Ausländer-Behörde, but it doesn't always work as staff don't seem to like it and you might be turned away if they're too busy. This does not apply to freelance visas and you have to have proof of employment lined up in Germany.
What kind of visa is the easiest to get?
If you have a university degree, or comparable qualification, and will be earning more than €46,000 then it's relatively easy to get a blue card which allows you to live and work in Germany. If you have a skill they want, mostly technical jobs in IT or engineering, then you can earn €36,000 and get the blue card.
What if I'm not getting that much money?
If you will be earning less than this, you can still apply for a residence permit. These are easier to get from a “best friend” country and you also don't have to have a university degree. This does, however, involve a “working market check” which is when the authorities check that there are not lots of Germans better suited for the job you want.
This is where people can encounter problems. Bar staff, for example, could easily have trouble as there are a lot of German bar staff.
What can I do to up my chances of keeping my residence permit?
If you already have a blue card, this can be made open-ended after some time. It's a much quicker process if you can prove you're level B1 or above in German after 21 months and already have the blue card. Without decent German, you can only ask for an open-ended permit after 33 months. So learn German, or wait longer!
