See List of minimum wages in China (PRC) for a list of the latest minimum monthly wages for various provinces or municipalities in China. European Union In the European Union 18 out of 27 member states currently have national minimum wages. Many countries, such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Italy, and Cyprus have no minimum wage laws but rely on employer groups and trade unions to set minimum earnings through collective bargaining. France The first nationwide minimum wage in France was introduced via the Interprofessional Guaranteed Minimum Wage (SMIG – Salaire minimum interprofessionnel garanti) law, passed in 1950 and accompanied by a High Commission for Collective Agreements (to set the wages based on average cost of living) and a companion law known as "SMAG" for rural/agricultural occupations. The SMIG, which established one baseline hourly wage rate for the Paris region and one for the rest of the country, was indexed to price inflation but rose more slowly than average wages. It was replaced by (SMIC – salaire minimum de croissance) in 1970, which remains the basis of the modern minimum wage law in France. The national minimum wage (SMIC) in France is updated by the government every year in January. By law, the increase cannot be lower than the inflation rate for the previous year. In recent years, the increase was up to two times higher than inflation (around 5%, with inflation around 2%). In 2004, 15% of the working population received the minimum wage. In July 2006, the minimum wage in France was set at €8.27 per hour. In July 2008 it was set at €8.71 per hour. An increase of 1.3% on 1 July 2009 brought the hourly rate to €8.82. In 2010, the minimum wage was increased by 0.5% to €8.86 per hour. Germany Germany's national minimum wage law (MiLoG – Mindestlohngesetz) came into force on 1 January 2015, introducing Germany's first nationwide legal minimum wage to the amount of €8.50 per hour. The German minimum wage level will be updated every other year by a minimum wage commission and acceptance by the government. Since a legal minimum wage law is a derogation of the constitutional right of a collective tariff autonomy, it is discussed whether and to what extent the minimum wage is consistent with the constitution. Hong Kong The Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) passed the Minimum Wage Bill in 2010, requiring the Chief