Unions are voicing serious concerns regarding potential health damage to employees if the current limits on working hours are eased. According to Anja Piel, a board member of the DGB, excessively long shifts have been proven to cause diseases that not only harm workers but also negatively affect the broader economy and the healthcare system. She emphasized that any relaxation of existing rules would unfairly disadvantage employees.
Minister of Labour Bärbel Bas (SPD) is planning to submit a proposal for reforming the Working Hours Act in June. Currently, the statutory limit for daily working hours is eight, which can be extended to ten hours in specific situations. The proposed reform could potentially raise the maximum daily working limit to 13 hours, though it would maintain a cap of 40 hours per week.
Piel rejected these proposed legislative changes, stating that the current law protects employee health and prevents people from being treated merely like machines. Similarly, Guido Zeitler, the chairman of the Food, Hospitality, and Catering Union (NGG), warned that such a modification would represent a “step backward in times that we cannot afford to lose”. He noted that occupational health studies clearly demonstrate that working too long leads to illness.
Zeitler stressed that the Working Hours Act has historically served as a safeguard for employees against unreasonable demands and even the arbitrary behavior of their bosses. He lamented that the physical limits of workers seem to be disregarded today. He suggested that employers are now using the term “flexibility” as an excuse to exploit their staff as they wish.
