The only reason we don’t have this shit in more rich countries often is that people receive welfare despite working a full-time job because it doesn’t pay properly. In Germany we call this “aufstocken”. Basically another way to create wage slavery and redirect money from the state towards the private sector.
The US is just very obvious and very loud about everything. Other third world countries indeed don’t have it any better.
We also have a minimum wage, and if it was implemented the way social democrats and greens wanted it it would be fine. Unfortunately we also have “Christian” democrats (think US Republicans from 10 years ago) and Libertarians, who managed to fuck it up so there are quite a few “exceptions” for who can be underpayed below the minimum now. Long-time (>6 months) jobless people for example (they can also be fired just before gaining the “privilege” to receive said minimum, resetting the timer for them).
There are more exceptions of course, can’t have the “wrong” people get enough money to life from.
Tbh if some people working full-time in Germany can’t afford rent on minimum wage, I suspect it’s an issue with the rent, not the minimum wage. Minimum wage in Germany is more than 2x what it is in Estonia. I think your minimum is around our average (a bit over 2k euros per month pre-tax)
The only reason we don’t have this shit in more rich countries often is that people receive welfare despite working a full-time job because it doesn’t pay properly. In Germany we call this “aufstocken”. Basically another way to create wage slavery and redirect money from the state towards the private sector. The US is just very obvious and very loud about everything. Other third world countries indeed don’t have it any better.
In Estonia it’s just solved by the minimum wage being high enough to afford rent, even if it’s just a tiny studio in the larger cities for that wage.
We also have a minimum wage, and if it was implemented the way social democrats and greens wanted it it would be fine. Unfortunately we also have “Christian” democrats (think US Republicans from 10 years ago) and Libertarians, who managed to fuck it up so there are quite a few “exceptions” for who can be underpayed below the minimum now. Long-time (>6 months) jobless people for example (they can also be fired just before gaining the “privilege” to receive said minimum, resetting the timer for them). There are more exceptions of course, can’t have the “wrong” people get enough money to life from.
Tbh if some people working full-time in Germany can’t afford rent on minimum wage, I suspect it’s an issue with the rent, not the minimum wage. Minimum wage in Germany is more than 2x what it is in Estonia. I think your minimum is around our average (a bit over 2k euros per month pre-tax)