Day: March 4, 2024

No more cash for refugees, but a “credit balance” on a payment card: from the beginning of 2025, refugees throughout Germany are to receive their social benefits via a payment card—and no longer as cash or by bank transfer as before. The federal and state governments agreed on this in November 2023. Each federal state can decide for itself which functions the new card will and will not have. The CDU/CSU and FDP parliamentary groups were particularly in favour of excluding so-called “remittances” to family and friends in the countries of origin. So far, there are only concrete plans for… Read More

Rail passengers must be prepared for new strikes. They are to begin at 2 a.m. on Thursday, March 7 and last for 35 hours. This was announced by Claus Weselsky, head of the train drivers’ union GDL. There could be further unannounced strikes after that. Deutsche Bahn and the union have been arguing for months about a new collective agreement. A key issue is the GDL’s demand to reduce the working week for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours without reducing pay. The trade union Verdi has also called for warning strikes at airports on Thursday and Friday. Lufthansa… Read More