The social partner dialogue on the Working Hours Act convened by the BMAS has ended. The German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) and its member unions continue to firmly reject the planned weakening of the Working Hours Act and the abolition of the eight-hour day.
The dialogue showed that the Working Hours Act works in its current form. The planned changes would only cause chaos and lead to legal uncertainty. Flexible working time models have long been a reality – through collective agreements that employers and unions negotiate together. A weakening of the Working Hours Act, on the other hand, brings more burden instead of more flexibility: employers receive expanded powers, while protection for employees – especially for those not bound by collective bargaining agreements – is limited. This is a break with the tradition of social partnership and a step backwards in the world of work.
If you want to enable more employment and address the shortage of skilled workers, you have to reduce the actual hurdles to more employment. A current DGB survey shows: If employees want to work more, it is not because of the working time law that fails, but because of rigid operational processes and rejection by superiors. Employers themselves are the biggest obstacle to flexible work. Other important factors include reliable childcare and better care infrastructure. Instead of extending the maximum daily working hours, employees need more autonomy over their working hours. This is particularly true for women, who often work part-time. Many of them are willing to increase their working hours, but need the right framework conditions to do so.
The DGB and its member unions are calling on the federal government not to give in to pressure from employers’ associations. The health of employees and protection against overload have top priority.