Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe. But the inequality is increasing: more and more Germans will be left behind in spite of working. This is especially evident in Bremen. Nina Haase and Sumi Somaskanda were there.
We are barely ten minutes in the city of Bremen, since our topic of the week jumps us in the eye is manifested in the Monday demo.
Five men with micro, large Transparent, and posters: “unemployment can happen to anybody!” and “stop time and temporary Agency work – Poor despite work” it says. For years, the group demonstrated week in and week out at 17:30. Located in the historic centre, on the cobblestones next to the town hall from the 15th century. Century. Manfred Seitz is picking on the Temporary work agencies. The “modern slave owner”. He and his Mitdemonstranten wanted more social justice, they say.
Participants of the Monday demonstration
But what is the social justice? What is poverty in Germany, this rich industrial country? Germany is Europe’s economic driving force. Unemployment is at a record low, wages are on the rise. But more and more Germans are suspended. From the annual report of the joint welfare Association by March 2017: The risk of poverty on the Germans, with 15.7 per cent to levels last seen during the time of the reunification.
If the welfare state is responsible for the basic supply
In our Research, we find different Numbers, depending on what factors you approach it. On a unit of measure, the relative poverty, it was agreed in the European Union but Who has less than 60 percent of the average income, is considered poor. Germany’s strong social welfare state has to take in cities such as Bremen, increasingly, the primary care.
Bremen occupies in the national comparison is always sad places: in the case of Per capita debt and unemployment, and Nowhere else in Germany so many children and so many adults are considered to be poor as in Bremen.
This poverty you don’t see often. Because on the one hand, those who really have only their apartment have withdrawn, so that everyone will fail in our Attempts to get in touch. Even street workers are not able to help us. And there is still a Trend that we observe: There are more and more German, have a Job, with your money, but it was the only way to make ends meet. Every fifth German is working in the low-wage sector. Rising Rents and higher cost of living in cities have a particularly on this group.
“Inequality is growing”
We ask Frank Nullmeier, Professor at the Socium,a Bremen-based research Institute on inequality and social policy. Scientists argue today about whether the so-called “Agenda 2010″reforms, and fostered the low wage sector, growing inequality have contributed, says the poverty researchers in the DW-interview. “What can but riding none the best is that you don’t have at least contributed to the transport of equality.”
In Bremen-Oslebshausen we meet Katja screwdriver. The district is considered to be one of the poorest in the whole of Germany. The vast majority here have no work, tells us the district management. As Katja screwdriver – you were self-employed in online business. Then she got back problems and could no longer work. Now the 34-Year-old Hartz refers to IV. you deserve something – in the new dress exchange at the part of the city.
Katja would love to work again, she says. But only if the financial difference would be noticeable. She has not gained the impression that Work is worth. You have now 100 to 150 Euro more in a month than in the past, she tells us. Because unlike before, she was now insured obligation. The payments for health insurance and pension insurance, the state takes over now.” This is simply crass, not more money, if you are working or not so much work,” she says, and adds: “I think that’s a real shame. Because Work in itself is not a bad thing – that you should make.” The work your missing. “But in the end, you have to think to yourself.”
“Unemployment can happen to anyone. And then,” ask the protesters
Arm chooses not to
Among the proposed solutions for the growing inequality in Germany, the demand for the introduction of an unconditional basic income. Harald Schröder is convinced of the idea completely. The 61-Year-old works for the Innere Mission Bremen as a pastor with people living in poverty. He calls them “guests”, because they also come to him in the railway mission to the main train station. Many of his “guests” avoided out of shame up the aisle to the authorities. The job centre have, in turn, granted in some hard cases, a house ban. Schröder supports the call for a basic income because, “she makes and will Therefore again equal citizens”.
And actually, there are these “equal citizens”, to choose in September, their representative. In the personal conversations on our trip, but we find a dangerous Trend: the Arm is not selected.
In Bremen, with many people living in poverty, it was particularly clear. And also the Figures show that In the last election for the citizenship in Bremen in 2015 only half of the election was entitled to her voice. “Election winner” was not the SPD or the CDU, but the group of non-voters with a large margin.