In the ongoing debate about working time reform, the SPD aims to place employees at the center of the discussion. Jan Dieren, the SPD parliamentary group’s Deputy Spokesperson for Labor and Social Affairs, told the “Welt” that the party wants to improve the compatibility between work and family by giving employees greater control over their working hours.
This, according to Dieren, would strengthen both families and voluntary commitments. He stressed that any reform must be carefully considered and well-developed if it is to genuinely lead to more employee self-determination over working time, rather than less.
Although a reform of the working time act has been agreed upon, Dieren noted that it must comply with the EU working time directive. He pointed out that the required eleven-hour rest periods daily are clearly stipulated in the EU directive. He cautioned that anyone seeking to eliminate rest periods for all employees is exceeding the bounds of the coalition agreement. While he understands the concerns of trade unions and many employees-as abolishing the eight-hour workday could allow employers to demand up to 13 hours of work per day, including breaks-he affirmed that the coalition agreement did not mandate the abolition of the eight-hour day. Instead, it committed to reforming the working time law to enhance the balance between professional life and family life.
In contrast, the AfD sees no need for fundamental reform. René Springer, the AfD parliamentary group’s spokesperson for Labor and Social Affairs, stated that existing regulations already offer sufficient flexibility while ensuring necessary employee protection. He acknowledged the DGB’s concern for employee health, arguing that working time regulations exist to protect workers and should not be unilaterally altered to the detriment of health, family, or rest. Springer further argued that the conflict between the FDP and SPD is merely a distraction from the real economic challenges of Germany, claiming that exploding energy costs, excessive bureaucracy, high taxes and levies, and a political stance that has systematically weakened the competitiveness of German companies are what hinders growth and employment, not the working time act.
The Greens, meanwhile, are open to reforms. Andreas Audretsch, the Greens’ Vice Spokesperson, told the “Welt” that they want to enable greater flexibility in designing working hours. However, he stressed that the eight-hour day must remain to protect people, whether on construction sites or in logistics. He argued against any weakening of standards at the expense of employee health, noting that more flexibility is particularly important for balancing family and career. He suggested that employees should be able to adjust their positions, for instance, between 30 and 40 hours depending on their life situation, which would benefit both families and companies.
The Left Party, however, opposes these initiatives. Heidi Reichinnek, the Left parliamentary group leader, harshly criticized the idea of abolishing the eight-hour day-one of the most important rights of workers-while justifying it with supposedly improved work-life balance, calling the idea reckless. She argued that employees do not need more flexibilization and the blurring of working and personal boundaries; rather, they need security against bosses simply demanding 13-hour shifts. Reichinnek added that even now, longer hours and shift work can be negotiated, and otherwise, the system would collapse. The core problem, she maintained, is that this push for blurring boundaries removes workers’ right to input.
Reichinnek also sharply criticized the role of the CDU’s Jens Spahn, suggesting that he either has no understanding of what 13 hours of work entails for certain employees-physically, psychologically, or socially-or that he is simply indifferent to the matter if it serves to maximize the profits of a few at the expense of the majority. She concluded by emphasizing that the health of workers declines during working days exceeding eight hours and that the risk of accidents increases. She insisted that newly secured rights should not be dismantled.
