As part of the grand plan of the traffic light coalition for care, there should be, among other things, a renewed tax-free care bonus for care workers of up to € 3,000. Instead of implementing the right goals, such as above all higher wages or the equalisation of sick and long-term care, the complexity of how to implement this bonus has been discussed in the past months. As Green MP Janosch Dahmen put it, "What we want to avoid at all costs is that individuals who would have absolutely deserved the money end up not getting any money because we didn't do the law well in a hurry." So the draft law, which was actually planned for December, was postponed until it was presented by Mr Lauterbach at the end of March. The result for most carers is, surprise surprise, a joke that is intended to do one thing above all: divide the working class in the health system.

One billion taxpayers' money is to be divided 50/50 between acute and long-term care. As in 2020, only nurses from hospitals that had a certain load of covid patients in intensive care units are to benefit. In this case, only those who have ventilated more than 10 Covid patients for at least 48 hours in the past year. So out of just under 2000 hospitals, only workers in 837 will see a cent at all. In these, intensive care nurses are to receive up to 2500 euros, nursing staff are to receive up to 1700 euros, of course only as long as they have worked in the clinic for at least 3 months. This also applies to employees in elderly care, but here everyone is to receive something regardless of the number of Corona sufferers. In return, however, the amount differs somewhat from the one that has been discussed so far. Instead of 3,000 euros for full-time skilled workers, it will now be up to 550 euros. The emphasis in the health minister's remarks is on skilled workers, but he does not say how a differentiation will be made between skilled and unskilled workers. In long-term care, trainees are to receive up to 330 euros, FSJ workers up to 60 euros and other employees, such as cleaners, up to 190 euros. It is unclear to what extent these groups can be taken into account in the hospital budget. Not taken into account at all are care for the disabled, ambulance services, outpatient clinics, laboratories, etc. No one has to explain to the traffic light government how impudent these differentiations are, after talking to representatives of all the groups mentioned in numerous talk shows and interviewtes over the last two years.

So this is the federal government's thanks for the special efforts of nurses during the pandemic, plus the health minister's personal thanks. What arrogance. Promising big bribes to keep putting up with miserable conditions, and instead throwing few crumbs into the many hungry mouths to sow nothing but discord and envy. We will not be divided!