Overview
- Jens Spahn renewed public pressure on the SPD Sunday to implement the coalition pledge to allow a weekly maximum working time instead of a fixed daily cap.
- A high-level meeting at the Kanzleramt produced no decision and participants agreed to further consultations between the coalition and social partners.
- Employers back the change as a practical way to free up scheduling and help firms adapt, while trade unions warn it could weaken protections for rest periods and worker safety.
- Any legal change must fit the EU working time directive and preserve minimum rest rules such as the current uninterrupted 11-hour rest period after a shift.
- If adopted the reform could change when people can start and stop work in practice, easing late-night scheduling for some workers but raising concerns about longer single-day stints and unequal effects for non-unionized staff.