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 com 
pulsory 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 in 
surance 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. 
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