Against the Proposed Abolition of Standard Working Hours: Works Councils Speak Out
Employee Representative Bodies Oppose Elimination of Regular Work Hours - Employee Representatives Oppose the Elimination of Standard Work Hours
In a surprising move, works councils in numerous northern German industrial and craft businesses have voiced their disapproval of the black-red coalition's plans to broaden legal maximum working hours. A telling survey by IG Metall District Coast among 418 works council heads revealed a stark divide between government intentions and industry realities.
The survey, obtained by the German Press Agency, paints a picture of an entrenched habit of flexible working arrangements. A whopping 89% of employee representatives, who represent around 200,000 workers, vehemently oppose the elimination of the eight-hour workday as a standard, while an impressive 98% stand firm against scrapping a public holiday. The rejection extends to the introduction of waiting days, with 96% of works councils expressing their disapproval.
Surprisingly, three-quarters of the businesses already embrace flexible working hours, with only 7% claiming they are inapplicable within their own context, and 17% deeming them less suitable. Boasting the benefits for both employers and employees, nearly 80% of works councils view such flexibility positively.
In a staggering 61% of businesses, regular or irregular workdays of up to ten hours are already in practice. Overtime, a part of the daily grind in 61% of the workplaces, is often orchestrated by employers (30%) and employees themselves (22%). An overwhelming majority, two-thirds, of the businesses rely on working time accounts for most of their employees, with 19% implementing it for many workers. Only a minuscule 5% seldom use working time accounts.
Daniel Friedrich, district leader of IG Metall Coast, voices his concern that the government's proposals are mere smokescreens. "Those bearing significant responsibility for this country's economic stagnation are peddling false solutions," he stated, adding that Germans work tirelessly, with work volumes at an all-time high. As for the average working time across the nation being less than other countries, he attributes this to the high proportion of part-time positions, particularly among women.
Friedrich underscores the need for Germany to become more productive, but not at the expense of worker rights. His vision includes investing in innovation, digitalization, and infrastructure, leading to a more efficient economy in Europe and within Germany. He stresses the necessity of a responsible industrial policy that safeguards value creation, rather than squandering it through inaction.
- IG Metall
- German Press Agency
- Craft Business
- Hamburg
- Employer
- Union
- Working Hours
- Flexible Working
- Germany
- Works Council
- Productivity
- Industrial Policy
- IG Metall, the powerful German trade union, has expressed concern that the proposed changes to working hours by the black-red coalition might be a smokescreen, as they come at a time when Germans are working longer hours than ever before.
- The German Press Agency reports that a significant number of businesses in northern Germany, particularly in the craft sector, already employ flexible working hours, with around 80% of works councils viewing this flexibility as beneficial for both employers and employees.
- In a response to the proposed policy changes, works councils in various businesses, representing approximately 200,000 workers in the region, have voiced their opposition to the elimination of standard working hours, the removal of a public holiday, and the introduction of waiting days.
