(Work and family; 01-02; p.4)
Real wages and profits are - at least for the
time being - only under indirect influence of politicians. They
can impose taxes on profits, but they are restricted by the autonomy
of employers and employees to negotiate wages. This considering,
only tax politics could be presented here which parties think
of having an effect on the labour market. Since this is not an
evident supposition, I will do without. Nonetheless it is worth
mentioning that the FDP wants to restrict agreements on wages
to the sub-state level.
Topic "family"
Family politics may be seen in budgets that
parents have to spend and on the available services for children
that the state offers or furthers:
• Since the German unification child benefit has been increased
twice, in 1996 and 1999. Both measures increased the disposable
income of parents.
• The relative high level of child-care in the GDR has not been
reached so far in unified Germany.
Seeing these conditions, politicians now discuss improvements
and state how the necessities of working and family life might
be arranged better (cf. for the following: Frankfurter Rundschau
no. 163, D-edition, p.7. 17. July 2002.).
The SPD wants to increase disposable income by increasing child
benefits up to the level of tax allowances for top-earners. Parents
shall have a budget increase of up to 200 Euro a month this way.
(read on here)