Overview

• The proposed reform would replace Germany's eight-hour daily work limit with a weekly cap, allowing up to 13-hour workdays.
• Union leaders, including Verdi chief Frank Werneke, warn the changes would erode labor protections and exacerbate already significant pressure on workers, who have accrued 600 million unpaid overtime hours.
• DGB-led May Day demonstrations across Germany, under the motto 'Mach dich stark mit uns,' called for higher wages, stronger social security, and massive public investment to modernize infrastructure and stabilize the economy.
• Demonstrations in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern drew over 1,600 participants, including political leaders, demanding the preservation of the eight-hour day and swift action on energy costs and public investment.
• Germany's unions emphasize the need to address declining collective-bargaining coverage, which has fallen below 50%, contributing to wage stagnation and weaker worker protections.