German Bakers Seek End to Sunday Baking Ban

Handwerkspräsident Jörg Dittrich urged a swift repeal of the “Sunday baking ban,” citing a clause in the governing coalition contract that promises to lift the restriction for bakers and confectioners. He criticised the current disparity that allows fuel‑station bakeries to operate on Sundays while traditional bakeries are barred.

The coalition agreement calls for the exemption catalogue in the Working Hours Act to be expanded to the baking trade, with plans for the change to take effect on 1 January 2027. A draft amendment leaked in June would permit bakery staff to work up to five hours baking and three hours delivering on Sundays and public holidays, but the proposal is still in an early legislative stage. The German Bakers’ Union warned the draft could create competitive disadvantages, while labour unions oppose any erosion of the eight‑hour workday.

The handcraft sector is pressing the government to move from draft to law, arguing that a few hundred workers choosing higher Sunday wages should not be hampered by outdated regulations.