XXX  in

54-hour  week  is  universal,  whilst  on  the  other  haiyl  for  municipal  employees
60  hours  must  be  taken  as  the  normal  working  week.

Deductions  from  Waqes  in  respect  of  Workmen's  Insurance.—A  factor  of
considerable  importance  in  the  labour  conditions  of  Germany  is  the  existence  of
a  system  of  compulsory  working-class  insurance  against  accidents,  sickness,
infirmity,  and  old  age,  part  of  the  cost  of  which  has  to  be  borne  by  the
workpeople,  inasmuch  as  they  are  compelled  to  submit  to  the  deduction  from
their  wages  of  certain  sums  as  insurance  premiums.  In  the  case  of  accident
insurance  the  law  requires  that  the  whole  of  the  cost  be  borne  by  the  employer,
who,  for  this  purpose,  is  required  to  join  one  of  the  trade  associations  for
mutual  insurance  (Berufsgenossenschaften),  at  present  66  in  number,  formed  in
compliance  with  this  law.  But  although  the  employer  is  prohibited  from
deducting  anything  from  the  wages  of  his  workpeople  in  respect  of  this  branch
of  insurance,  part  of  the  cost  is  nevertheless  borne  by  the  latter,  since  during
the  first  13  weeks  after  an  accident  the  expenses  arising  therefrom  fall  upon  the
Sickness  Insurance  Fund,  i.e.,  upon  a  fund  to  which  the  workman  is  bound  to
contribute.  Under  the  Sickness  Insurance  Law  two-thirds  of  the  cost  of
insurance  has  to  be  borne  by  the  worker  and  one-third  by  the  employer.  The
latter  is  responsible  for  the  payment  of  the  whole  premium,  but  may  deduct
two-thirds  of  the  amount  from  the  worker’s  wages  at  the  next  pay-day.  The
amount  of  the  worker’s  share  may  not  be  less  than  1  per  cent,  and  not  more
than  4  per  cent,  of  his  wages.  The  actual  amounts  vary  in  the  different  kinds
of  funds  recognised  under  this  law,  but  about  87  per  cent,  of  the  workmen
insured  are  insured  in  funds  to  which  their  contributions  may  not  be  less  than
3  or  more  than  4  per  cent,  of  their  wages  ;  probably  3^  per  cent,  may  be  taken
as  the  normal  amount.  For  this  the  benefits  received  are  (1)  free  medical
treatment  and  sick-pay  (one-half  the  average  earnings)  for  26  weeks  ;  or
(2)  hospital  maintenance  and  one-quarter  of  the  average  earnings  (the  money
being  paid  to  dependents)  ;  and  (3)  funeral  money.

In  the  case  of  infirmity  and  old  age  pensions  the  law  fixes  the  actual
amount  of  the  premium  at  a  figure  which  varies  according  to  the  wage  class  to
which  the  insured  worker  belongs,  five  such  classes  being  distinguished.  The
classes  and  weekly  premiums  are  as  follows  :—

Wage  Class.

I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.

Limits  of  Yearly  Earnings.

Up  to  £17  10s.
Over  £17  10s.  and  under  £27  10s.
„  £27  10s.  „  £42  10s.
„  £42  10s.  „  £57  10s.
Over  £57  10s.

Weekly  Premiums.

1-7  d.
2'4d.
29d.
36d.
4-3  d.

One-half  of  the  contribution  has  to  be  paid  by  the  employer  ;  in  practice
he  pays  the  whole  and  deducts  the  workers’  share  from  the  wages  at  the  next
pay-day.  Thus,  in  the  two  highest  wages-classes—to  which  the  majority  of
adult  working-men  belong—the  weekly  contributions  actually  paid  by  the
workmen  are  P8&  in  Class  IV.  and  2'2d.  in  Class  V.  A  minimum  of  forty
contributory  weeks  is  required  in  each  year.  A  pension  lor  permanent
incapacity  (i.e.,  inability  to  earn  one-third  of  the  current  local  rate  of  wages)
can  be  claimed  at  the  end  of  two  hundred  contributory  weeks  ;  old  age  pensions
can  be  claimed  first  at  70  years  of  age.
From  the  above  data  it  may  approximately  be  calculated  that  the  compulsory ­
  deductions  from  weekly  wages  for  insurance  premiums  (estimating  the
sickness  insurance  premium  at  3^  per  cent.)  are  for  a  wage  of  20s.  a  week-10-2d.
  ;  for  25s.  a  week,  12'7d.  ;  for  30s.  a  week,  14-8d.  ;  and  for  35s.  a  week,
16’9d.  On  the  whole  the  ratio  of  insurance  contributions  to  wages  may  be
taken  at  something  over  4  per  cent.  In  the  case  of  the  workers  engaged  in
coal,  lignite,  metalliferous,  and  salt  mines  in  Prussia  in  1906,  the  total  insurance ­
  deductions  amounted  to  4  9  per  cent,  of  the  total  earnings,  but  this
higher  rate  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  in  the  mining  industry,  which  is
separately  organised  for  insurance  purposes,  the  men  voluntarily  contribute  a
little  more  than  1fie  law  requires,  and  get  correspondingly  higher  benefits.

3908$