Overview
- At an IHK event in Halle, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would probably abolish the Arbeitszeitgesetz, arguing collective bargaining could regulate hours.
- SPD, Greens, the Left, unions and even an AfD lawmaker criticized the idea as an attack on worker protections that risks overwork and family strain.
- Business groups such as the DIHK endorsed reform, urging a shift to a weekly maximum, more flexible rest rules and relaxed time-recording requirements.
- Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer backed greater flexibility, advocating weekly caps to help firms manage peaks and give employees more control.
- The Labour Ministry plans a balanced working-time reform draft in the first half of 2026, while experts stress EU directives allow flexibility but not abolition.