• The minimum wage for nursing care will increase
• Digital Markets Act comes into force
Deutschlandticket is introduced
The Germany ticket is valid from May 1, 2023. The advance sale has already started. The ticket is valid on all local public transport in Germany and costs EUR 49 per month. Compared to the previous 9-euro ticket, the 49-euro ticket can only be purchased online or via the transport company’s apps and via the Deutschlandticket app. The ticket is personal and cannot be transferred to other people. Compared to the 9-euro ticket, the ticket can only be purchased as part of a subscription. If passengers no longer want to use the ticket, they must cancel the subscription. If passengers already have an existing subscription, there is the option of switching the subscription to the 49-euro ticket. The price of the ticket could change in the future, the 49 euros is only an introductory price.
Minimum wage for care increases
From May 1st of this year, the minimum wage for unskilled caregivers will be raised to EUR 13.90 per hour, and then to EUR 14.15 per hour from December 1st, 2023. For nurses with at least one year of training, the minimum wage will increase to EUR 14.90 per hour on May 1st, while the minimum wage for nurses will increase to EUR 17.65 per hour on May 1st. Employers are obliged to pay the minimum wage also for the travel time that nurses travel between several patients or between them and the premises of the care company. In addition, the employer must pay at least 40 percent of the minimum wage for on-call times.
Digital Markets Act comes into effect
From May 2, 2023, the Digital Markets Act, also known as the Digital Services and Markets Act, will come into force. The EU law aims to increase the transparency and competition of digital platforms. From May 2023, large online platforms such as search engines, social networks, online marketplaces and providers of operating systems must check whether they meet the statutory requirements. An important consequence of the law is that pre-installed applications on mobile phones must be able to be uninstalled and that accurate tracking of users for advertising tracking purposes is restricted. The new requirements must be implemented by companies by March 6, 2024 at the latest.
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