Germany in Brief
February 11, 2003
Skilled Workers Protest High Taxes
More than 16,000 German skilled workers and craftsmen protested against the government in Berlin and Munich on Monday. They say recent tax hikes and and expensive labor costs are ruining the country's small- and medium-sized businesses. Guild representatives accuse the government of not doing enough to combat bureaucracy and reduce high
taxation, and small companies feel overlooked. But German Economic and Labor Minister Wolfgang Clement sought to reassure protestors and said the government planned to ease the burden on small companies by reducing non-labor wage costs.
Court Says It's Mandatory To Shelter Homeless
Municipalities are required to offer shelter to homeless people if they ask for it. According to a decision by the administrative court of the State of Hesse in central Germany it is a civic duty to accommodate homeless individuals regardless of their most recent place of residence or the cause for the loss of the permanent residence. The ruling applies to all cities and towns in the state.
Number of Organ Donors Drops
The number of organ donors in Germany has dropped slightly, the German Foundation for Organ Donation (DSO) reported on Monday. In a statement, DSO, which has been coordinating organ donations in Germany since 2000, complained that many hospitals were still unwilling to cooperate or submit their data. In 2002, 1,020 donors gave organs, down nearly five percent from the previous year. But the figure is still low, with an average of 12 out of a million Germans donating organs compared to European leader Spain, where there are 30 donations per million inhabitants.
Compiled with material from wires.