This article is available to Members of The Local. Read more Membership Exclusives here.
Noise protection laws to ease up for World Cup 2018
Anyone who has watched a football game on a big screen outdoors in Germany before surely knows how loud it can get.
With the World Cup kicking off this month, an exception to the strict German noise protection laws will be made. This means that even if you do decide to join plenty of other fans and watch a football game live at a Public Viewing, you can make as much noise as you want.
SEE ALSO: Seven English words Germans get hilariously wrong
Currently, it can’t get louder than a decibel level of 55 past 10 pm, but since this level is usually exceeded during an outdoor screening, football enthusiasts will be able to holler their hearts out even past this time. The rule will no longer apply after the final match.
One thing to note though is that the decision to ease up on this rule can vary depending on the interests of the respective municipality. World Cup 2018 is being held in Russia and starts on June 14th and runs until July 15th.
Diesel driving bans begin in Hamburg
Hamburg became the first German city to implement diesel driving bans to combat air pollution when driving limits for older diesel vehicles came into force on May 31st. This means that from now on, two streets in the Hanseatic city will have limited diesel driving bans.
The ban in Max-Brauer-Allee applies to all vehicles that do not meet the Euro 6 emissions standard, while the ban in Stresemannstrasse only bars trucks which are below the Euro 6 standard.
Excluded from the driving ban are residents and their visitors, as well as ambulances, garbage trucks and delivery vehicles.
Motorists in breach of the ban can expect to cough up fines of €25 for cars and €75 for trucks.
There are no plans for further diesel driving bans in Hamburg, according to the city's Ministry of the Environment and Energy (BUE). With Hamburg’s bans officially put in place, other German cities could soon follow suit.Â
READ ALSO: Here's how you could be affected by diesel bans in German cities
Crosses to be hung up in all state administration buildings in Bavaria
As of June 1st, a cross must be placed in the entrance area of every state government office in Bavaria. The initiative was implemented in late April by Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder, who said the move was a “commitment to Bavarian identity and culture.”
Having gained subsequent approval from the cabinet, the regulation means that all state offices in Bavaria must comply. It does not however apply to federal government or municipal offices in the region.
Higher minimum wage?
A general increase in the statutory minimum wage could be decided in June. The members of the minimum wage commission have plans to meet this month to discuss an adjustment.
Currently, the legal minimum wage is €8.84/hour. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) has calculated the living wage to increase to €9.19/hour. According to the commission, the next adjustment will be implemented on January 1st, 2019.
Restructuring of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA)
After provisions came into force on May 25th, in June the BKA - which is somewhat akin to the FBI in Germany - will, among other things, receive a new IT system as part its reorganization.
In future the BKA will also act as the "central authority for the national police information system and as a contact point for international teamwork", the federal government states on its website.
The restructuring also means that the BKA will be able to collect data through covert measures to avert dangers having to do with international terrorism.
Higher salaries in the logistics sector in Baden-WĂĽrttemberg
Employees in the freight forwarding and logistics sector in the southwest of the country will get a salary boost as of June 1st.
The collective wage agreement for workers in this sector was agreed by The Employers' Association of Forwarding and Logistics (AVSL) in Baden-WĂĽrttemberg and the trade union Verdi.
Some 120,000 employees in the state will receive a 3.2 percent increase in their salary. On April 1st next year their salaries will be raised again by an additional 2.6 percent.
Requirement of licence for drivers of agricultural vehicles
Changes with the turn of the new month are also set to affect vehicles in the agriculture and forestry industry. From June 1st, tractors with a maximum speed of 50 km/h need to have a special permit, according to the German road haulage legislation (GĂĽKG).
Among other things, this means that the driver of the agricultural vehicle must have a professional qualification in order to operate it (i.e. the driver must have undergone specific training and passed a test at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce).
Comments