Sahra Wagenknecht regards the planned abolition of the daily maximum working time as a mistake.
“The grinding of the eight‑hour day is a battle cry against all workers and their families” she told the “Welt” (Thursday edition), the founder and namesake of Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW).
She added that employees already work increasing amounts of overtime, which must at least be compensated with appropriate surcharges. “In hard physical jobs extended work hours are an assault on health, and stress‑related illnesses have been rising for years” she observed. Longer hours also reduce productivity.
Wagenknecht criticised the SPD’s apparent support for flexible working hours as a “poverty certificate”. “Instead of weekly onslaughts against workers, we urgently need a shift in economic policy and improvements in competitiveness through affordable energy, reduced bureaucracy and investment in infrastructure” she said. The existing regulations, she added, are sufficiently flexible.
