Coalition clash over reforming Germany's working-time rules sparks employer-union standoff
The CDU/CSU-SPD coalition is at an impasse over a plan to replace daily limits with a weekly cap in Germany's Working Hours Act, drawing sharp opposition from employers and trade unions.
Leuna, a major chemical hub in Saxony-Anhalt, hosts a UPM biorefinery that advertises 12-hour shifts, a schedule permitted only in certain sectors under current law. The 2025 coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD calls for a shift from daily to weekly working-time limits, citing the European Working Time Directive. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, after touring the plant, praised the model as beneficial for work-life balance.
The SPD drafted reforms in June 2026 that would require collective agreements, health safeguards and electronic monitoring, but the party’s own members and union Verdi warned of health risks and family-care burdens. The CDU/CSU and employer groups, led by BDA president Rainer Dulger, dismissed the draft as mistrustful, halting progress. The debate now hinges on the stance of the new SPD labor minister Alexander Schweitzer, with the reform remaining on hold.
Why it matters
The outcome will shape German labor flexibility, affecting millions of workers and the competitiveness of its industries.
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