SPD on work and social affairs

The SPD wants more employees in Brandenburg to be paid under collective bargaining agreements. Public contracts would go only to companies that comply with such agreements. According to the platform, the lack of collective bargaining coverage hurts wages and working conditions.

The SPD wants more union wage agreements in Brandenburg. These agreements set pay and working hours for many companies. Only companies that follow them should get state contracts. The SPD says this means better pay for workers.

The rule would be modeled on Berlin's, so that the shared Berlin-Brandenburg economic region has uniform requirements. State business subsidies would be geared more toward companies bound by collective agreements. Publicly owned companies, like the public administration, would be covered by collective agreements. When an operator changes, every employee would receive a takeover offer on at least the same terms, and layoffs for operational reasons would be ruled out for the length of the contract. The SPD also wants to make it easier to declare collective agreements generally binding.

The SPD wants to raise the minimum wage that applies to state public contracts to 15 euros an hour in two steps. The platform sees this as a tool for fairer pay and as a push for the statutory minimum wage.

State contracts have their own minimum wage. It is 13 euros an hour. The SPD wants to raise it to 15 euros. This would happen in two steps.

Brandenburg introduced a procurement minimum wage of 13 euros in 2021. The platform notes that about 250,000 people in the state work at minimum-wage level. The increase is meant to follow income trends and be coordinated with the commission responsible for adjusting the procurement minimum wage. The SPD wants Brandenburg to keep its role as a front-runner on this issue.

The SPD wants to coordinate public holidays in Brandenburg and Berlin. This is meant to help commuters who work in one state and rely on childcare in the other. The number of holidays would not go down.

Brandenburg and Berlin have some different public holidays. The SPD wants to make them match. This helps people who commute between the two states. The number of holidays should not go down.

The platform justifies the alignment with the everyday lives of people whose workplace and childcare are in different states. The SPD pledges that the number of public holidays will not be reduced.

The SPD wants to tackle the shortage of labor and skilled workers with a broad approach that also covers housing and social infrastructure. Plans include a recruitment drive, more dormitory places for trainees with capped rent, and immigration of skilled workers from abroad.

Brandenburg does not have enough workers. The SPD wants to bring more skilled workers to the state. Some should come from other countries. Trainees should get more dorm places. The rent there should be limited.

According to the platform, demographic change means that young people entering the workforce and new arrivals are no longer enough to meet demand. The shared labor market with Berlin would be advanced through coordinated measures. More graduates of Brandenburg's universities should stay in the state. Young people would also be recruited for training places across state lines, especially from Berlin. The SPD also counts good relations between long-time residents and newcomers as part of attracting skilled workers.

The SPD wants to create citizen service points or social offices that advise on all social benefits in one place. Poverty, especially among children, is to be tackled further. Participation in old age and for people with disabilities also remains a goal.

The SPD wants to set up social offices. There, people get advice on all state benefits. They no longer need to visit many offices. The SPD also wants to keep fighting child poverty.

The social offices are to work closely with family centers. For older people, the SPD wants to implement the state's senior policy guidelines and support the state commissioner for seniors. On inclusion, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities remains the benchmark. The consumer advice center should be funded over several years where possible, and a third mobile advice unit (Digi-Mobil) is being considered. Animal shelters should be able to receive ongoing basic funding.