The draft reform of the Working Hours Act by Federal Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) is facing strong opposition from metal industry employers. Gesamtmetall criticized the proposal as a “return to old regulatory patterns” and accused the minister of violating the coalition agreement. The association sees the plan as a revival of a proposal that failed in 2023.
The reform aims to make the daily maximum working time of eight hours more flexible. According to Deutschlandfunk, both companies and employees are dissatisfied with the planned changes. While employers demand more flexibility, worker representatives fear a weakening of occupational safety.
Labor Minister Bas had presented the draft to adapt working time rules to modern work models. The initiative already failed last year due to opposition from coalition partners. Now the future of the eight-hour day is once again up for debate.
Source: www.deutschlandfunk.de
