Germany's Plan to Ditch the 8-Hour Day Splits Parties and Unions Ahead of June Bill
Veröffentlicht: 15.06.2026 um 07:52 Uhr, Redaktion boerse-global.de
A government proposal to replace Germany's traditional eight-hour workday with a 48-hour weekly cap is already igniting political and social-partner clashes, months before the draft legislation is even due. Labour Minister Bärbel Bas has scheduled the bill for June 2026.
Under the current Working Hours Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz), employees may work no more than eight hours per working day. Exceptions exist for up to ten hours, but those must be balanced out within six months. The planned reform would scrap the daily ceiling in favor of a weekly maximum of 48 hours, allowing firms and staff to spread hours flexibly across the week.
Conservative parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn voiced strong support on Sunday, arguing the change would "improve the reconciliation of career and family." He pushed for swift enactment and expressed confidence coalition partners would back the move.
DGB chairwoman Yasmin Fahimi, however, issued a blunt warning against the overhaul. Employer associations have praised the reform as a boost to competitiveness, but the union chief said it risked eroding worker protections.
Within the ruling coalition and opposition, positions are sharply divided:
- The SPD insists that the coalition agreement never called for abolishing the eight-hour day entirely. "Employee protection must remain central," said SPD politician Jan Dieren.
- The Greens are open to more flexibility but demand that the eight-hour day be preserved as a minimum safeguard.
- The Left Party flatly rejects any relaxation of daily limits.
- The AfD, according to MP René Springer, sees no need for change at all.
Any new national rules must still comply with the EU Working Time Directive. Stressing that point, SPD representatives noted the mandatory 11-hour uninterrupted rest period between workdays will remain in force.
Critics argue a weekly view of working time could blur boundaries and increase strain on employees. The full draft bill, due in June, is expected to lay out the concrete safeguards that will accompany the shift.
Disclaimer zu unseren Artikeln: Keine Anlageberatung, keine Kauf oder Verkaufsempfehlung. Angaben zu Kursen, Unternehmen und Märkten ohne Gewähr; Änderungen jederzeit möglich. Börsengeschäfte können zu hohen Verlusten führen. Unsere Beiträge werden ganz oder teilweise automatisiert mit Unterstützung von AI erstellt und geprüft.
