The German parliament on Thursday (3 July) approved the introduction of a minimum wage of €8.50 per hour from 2015 on, a policy shift that could boost growth elsewhere in Europe.
Of the 601 votes cast, 535 voted in favour of the law, five lawmakers voted against it and 61 abstained.
About 3.7 million workers are estimated to benefit from higher wages, according to government projections, or about 9 percent of the workforce.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her business-f...
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