"AfD Proposes Transforming Buß- und Bettag into a Paid Workday for Employees" - Far-right political party, AfD, advocates for granting grant-free allowances to workers.
Saxony's AfD Proposes Making Day of Repentance and Prayer a Free Public Holiday for Employees
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony has presented an application to make the Buß- und Bettag free for employees in the state. This move aims to end the perceived disadvantage that Saxony faces compared to other German federal states regarding this public holiday.
The AfD suggests that the Saxon government should advocate for no increase in contributions to the nursing care insurance if the Buß- und Bettag is maintained as a public holiday at the federal level and in other states. This proposal follows the argument that the additional burden on employers due to another public holiday in Saxony is invalid, given the number of public holidays in other states.
The Buß- und Bettag, a day of reflection celebrated by the Protestant Church annually on the first Wednesday after the Volkstrauertag, falls on November 19th this year. The day is significant for its focus on self-assessment, atonement, and societal reflection.
Historically, the Bundestag decided to abolish the Buß- und Bettag as a nationwide legal public holiday in 1994 due to financing issues for the nursing care insurance. Only Saxony, led by then Minister President Kurt Biedenkopf (CDU), defied this decision. While the day is a regular working day in all other federal states, employees in Saxony are granted a day off. However, they pay 0.5 percent more of their gross salary into the nursing care insurance compared to employees in the rest of the country to finance the day off.
According to the AfD, this difference in wage-related costs between Saxony and the western federal states amounts to an average of 224.24 euros per year. In light of the continuing wage disparities 35 years after reunification, the AfD argues that this additional burden on employees in Saxony should be lifted.
Due to the Buß- und Bettag's special significance, public dance events and other public entertainment that contradict the solemn nature of the day are prohibited from 3:00 AM to 12:00 PM in Saxony. It remains unclear whether all Protestant Christians in the state utilize this day for reflection.
The Buß- und Bettag's future as a public holiday in Saxony remains to be seen, with no significant changes having been implemented so far. The stance of the AfD on this particular holiday is not prominent in current policy documents and statements.
- The AfD party in Saxony has proposed a community policy that seeks to make the Buß- und Bettag a free public holiday for employees, aiming to reduce disparities in public holidays between Saxony and other German federal states.
- In the initiative, the AfD argues that this day, significant for education-and-self-development and personal-growth, should not result in higher costs for employees due to additional wage-related contributions, contributing to general-news discussions about policy-and-legislation and politics.
- If the proposal is accepted, vocational training of employees in Saxony would not be affected, as the event falls on November 19th, a day of atonement, reflection, and societal mirror-checking, much like the process of self-improvement through vocational training.
