Unions sharply criticize the federal government’s proposals to amend the Working Hours Act and threaten protests and strikes. Frank Werneke, federal chair of the service union Verdi, told Bild that his union is ready to fight to preserve the law both in the workplace and on the streets. He warned that the government’s plans would effectively give employers a legal free pass to extract the last possible effort from workers who are already increasingly burdened and overworked, without regard for their health.
Robert Feiger, federal chair of the industrial union Bau‑Agrar‑Umwelt, also opposes any changes. In an interview with Bild, he described the eight‑hour day as not a relic of the past but a cornerstone of social justice, and cautioned that shaking it up risks chaos rather than progress. Feiger added that relaxing the rules would chiefly disadvantage workers without collective bargaining agreements, leading to longer days, less rest, and more pressure.
