Germany’s Labour Minister Unveils Controversial Plan to Flexibilise the Eight-Hour Day – and Sparks a Coalition War
19.06.2026 - 04:05:05 | boerse-global.de
Employer groups have erupted in fury after a 21-page draft from the Federal Labour Ministry proposed a partial relaxation of the eight-hour day, a principle that has anchored German working-time law since 1918. The paper, obtained by media on Thursday, would allow collective-bargaining partners to shift from a daily maximum to a weekly one – but only in companies covered by a collective agreement.
The backlash was immediate. Rainer Dulger, president of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), called the proposal a “mockery” and demanded its swift withdrawal. Oliver Zander, chief executive of the metals industry federation Gesamtmetall, described it as “a relapse into anachronistic regulatory models.” Around 76 percent of German companies are not bound by collective agreements, meaning they would see no benefit from the changes. Small-business associations including the ZDH (German Confederation of Skilled Crafts) and the BVMW (German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses) also condemned the exclusion of smaller firms from the flexibility on offer.
Under the draft, companies with a collective agreement could average working time over a week rather than a day, as long as the annual average stays at 48 hours per week. The ministry insists that strict health-protection conditions apply. For non-unionised employers – covering roughly half of all employees – the rigid daily eight-hour limit remains untouched. Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) has stressed that the existing principle is not being abolished, only made more adaptable in certain cases.
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The document also contains industry-specific carve-outs. Bakeries could extend Sunday working hours to five hours; public libraries would be allowed up to six. Electronic time recording becomes mandatory – a move that follows rulings by the European Court of Justice and Germany's Federal Labour Court. However, trust-based working-time models, where employees self-record hours, are not being scrapped.
Political reactions have been fierce. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann said the draft breaches the coalition agreement and cannot serve as a basis for further cooperation. His party group is calling for flexibilisation for all employees regardless of union coverage. On the other side, the Left Party warned of a “general assault on social achievements.” The German Trade Union Federation (DGB) has already launched campaigns to defend the eight-hour day. Meanwhile, SPD state premier Manuela Schwesig criticised the ministry for failing to involve the federal states sufficiently in the drafting process.
The conflict is set to reach a head in the summer of 2026. A coalition summit scheduled for 1 July will decide the final shape of the law. The ministry aims to push the reform package through parliament before the summer break.
