El mínimo en la UE y en Colombia Twenty-two of the 27 EU members have national minimum wages, with figures varying significantly across countries like Germany and Spain. Five countries without statutory minimum wages rely on high collective bargaining coverage. A 2022 EU directive aimed to ensure adequate minimum wages and foster collective bargaining, but was partially challenged and modified by the European Court of Justice regarding specific criteria for setting wages.

• 22 out of 27 EU members have a national minimum wage, with significant differences between countries.
• Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Austria, and Finland do not have statutory minimum wages but have high collective bargaining coverage.
• A 2022 EU directive aimed to provide criteria for adequate minimum wages and promote collective bargaining.
• Denmark and Sweden challenged the directive at the European Court of Justice, leading to the removal of specific mandatory criteria for setting minimum wages.
• The EU directive allows member states to use indicative reference values, such as 60% of the gross median wage or 50% of the gross average wage.
• Colombia’s 2024 minimum wage was 63% of the average private sector wage and 93% of the median private sector wage, exceeding EU recommendations.