Germany’s Proposed Shift to 48-Hour Weeks Could Allow 13-Hour Days, Splitting Business and Unions
11.06.2026 - 00:13:45 | boerse-global.de
Under a reform plan discussed Wednesday in the Chancellery, German employees could soon work up to 13 hours in a single day—provided the weekly total stays below 48 hours. The proposal, which would replace the traditional eight-hour cap with a weekly limit, has sharply divided employers and unions ahead of a July 1 decision by the coalition committee.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) hosted a three-hour summit with four representatives each from major employer associations and the largest trade unions. Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) announced she would present a draft bill in June, based on the EU Working Time Directive, that would scrap the current daily maximum of eight hours (with an exception allowing up to ten) and impose a weekly ceiling of 48 hours. No binding decisions were made at the meeting; the final call rests with the coalition’s top body next month.
Employer groups—the BDA, BDI, DIHK and ZDH—hailed the change as essential for Germany’s international competitiveness. They argue that rigid daily limits hurt productivity and make it harder to respond to fluctuating workloads. “This is about giving companies the flexibility they need to survive globally,” a joint statement after the talks said.
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Union leaders reacted with anger. DGB chairwoman Yasmin Fahimi called the plans “misguided.” IG Metall’s chief, Christiane Benner, said the debate was “inappropriate” given the weak order books in manufacturing and demanded instead that the government invest in worker training and boost female labour force participation.
Proponents point to demographic pressures. Economist Holger Schäfer of the DIW (German Institute for Economic Research) warned that as baby boomers retire, Germany faces a shrinking workforce and potential loss of prosperity. “More flexibility alone doesn’t solve the total labour volume problem, but it does let firms use the workers they have more efficiently,” he said.
Critics cite health and safety risks. Labour lawyer Pascal Croset noted that productivity “collapses” after the tenth hour. The Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, a union-affiliated research institute, highlighted studies showing accident rates rising after the eighth hour. A survey by the Institute for Economic and Social Sciences (WSI) found that three-quarters of employees fear negative effects on their work-life balance if the reform goes through.
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The summit also touched on social insurance. Verdi chairman Frank Werneke warned against cuts to pensions and demanded that the link between pension and real-wage growth remain intact. VdK president Verena Bentele rejected blanket reductions in social spending and called for better financing through adjustments to inheritance or wealth taxes. Economic adviser Veronika Grimm stressed the need for a coherent package that strengthens growth sustainably.
Chancellor Merz made clear that the ultimate authority lies with the governing coalition, not the social partners. Small and medium-sized enterprise associations, which were not invited to the talks, sharply criticised being excluded from the consultations. The July 1 coalition committee will now decide whether to push ahead with what would become one of Germany’s biggest labour market reforms in decades.
