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3w ago

German Government Advances Plan to Replace Eight-Hour Workday with Weekly Hour Cap

Chancellor Merz's proposal to modernize labor laws divides public opinion along political, gender, and educational lines.

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Overview

  • The Union-SPD coalition, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is drafting reforms to abolish the eight-hour workday in favor of a weekly maximum working-time regulation.
  • A recent Ipsos poll shows 46% of Germans support the proposal, while 44% oppose it, highlighting a deeply polarized public response.
  • Support for the reform is strongest among FDP (64%) and CDU/CSU (59%) voters, while only 29% of Left Party voters back the plan.
  • Men (49%) and individuals with higher education (55%) are more likely to support the changes, compared to women (43%) and those with lower education levels (41%).
  • The reform aligns with EU directives and seeks to address low annual working hours and labor shortages, but unions warn it could harm worker health and erode historic protections.