PORTUGAL ⋅ Four weeks before the general election in Portugal, Prime Minister António Costa has decided to raise the minimum monthly wage, which he called “the highest ever”.
“As of today, around 880,000 workers will benefit from the increase in the national minimum wage to 705 euros,” the socialist politician wrote on Twitter on Sunday. It was “an increase of 40 euros, the highest ever” in Portugal, he said.
Converted to the hour, the new minimum wage in Portugal is approximately EUR 4.40. For comparison: The statutory minimum wage in Germany rose to 9.82 euros per hour on January 1st. So far it was 9.60 euros. On July 1, 2022, there will be a further increase to 10.45 euros.
In the six years since he took office in late 2015, the minimum wage has risen by 40 percent, said Costa. The head of government also announced the entry into force of more social protection and labor rights for cultural workers. It’s about social justice. Costa reiterated the goal of having a statutory minimum wage of 750 euros per month in 2023.
After the parliamentary rejection of the budget of the left-wing minority government, Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called for a new parliamentary election for January 30th at the beginning of November. (sda / dpa)
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