a number of legal measures to strengthen workers’ rights, including a law forcing logistics and eCommerce companies to ensure that their subcontractors pay proper social security contributions for their drivers, and the introduction of a higher basic pension for low-income workers. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, he worked on legislation to give employees the right to work from home even when the coronavirus crisis is over. At a SPD national convention in 2019, Heil was elected as one of the five deputies of the party's co-chairs Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans, alongside Klara Geywitz, Kevin Kühnert, Serpil Midyatli and Anke Rehlinger. Ahead of the 2021 elections, Heil was elected to lead the SPD campaign in Lower Saxony. Following the elections, the SPD took over leadership of the government and new Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Heil would stay on as Labour Minister in the new cabinet. Shortly after, he implemented the new government’s decision to increase the minimum wage to 12 euros ($13.61) per hour from October 2022 on. He also led efforts to fast-track work permits and visas for several thousand foreign airport workers, mainly from Turkey, to help to ease staffing shortages in the tourism sector after a series of COVID-19 lockdowns. Along with Svenja Schulze, Heil is currently the longest-serving cabinet member. Political positions In 2012, Heil proposed a special panel in the Federal Chancellery to help overcome professional skill shortages, comprising representatives of industry, unions as well as the federal labor agency and regional and community associations. Personal life Heil is married to lawyer Solveig Orlowski, who has managed the Berlin office of the Association of Telecommunications and Value-Added Service Providers (VATM) since 2005. The couple has two children, a son (* 2012) and a daughter (* 2014). His brother Georg Heil is a journalist with public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk. Heil is Protestant. Other activities Regulatory bodies Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Posts and Railway (BNetzA), Member of the advisory board (2003-2005) Corporate boards KfW, Member of the Board of Supervisory Directors (2010–present) Non-profit organizations Berliner Republik magazine, Publisher Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), Member Progressives Zentrum, Member of the Circle of Friends FernUniversität Hagen, Member of the Parliamentary Advisory Board (2013–present) Leibniz Association, Member of the Senate Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, Member of the Presidium (2009–present) IG Metall, Member German Association for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW), Member of the Political Advisory Board (2015-2016)