German Working Hours Reform Draft Draws Sharp Opposition

The Federal Ministry of Labour, led by Minister Bärbel Bas, has released a draft to amend the Working Hours Act. The proposal would keep the eight‑hour day as a baseline but allow a flexible weekly maximum of up to 48 hours, provided that tariff agreements or company‑level arrangements set health‑protective safeguards. It also introduces a mandatory electronic recording of start, end and duration of each workday to meet EU court rulings.

The draft has triggered a broad coalition dispute. The CDU/CSU’s Gitta Connemann and Carsten Linnemann label it a breach of the coalition pact, arguing that linking the weekly limit to collective‑bargaining excludes most small‑ and medium‑sized firms and the vast majority of the workforce. Employers’ groups such as the BDA and the Zentralverband des Deutschen Baugewerbes condemn the bill as overly bureaucratic and financially burdensome, warning of a “new bureaucratic turbo” in time‑tracking. Trade unions and the handwerk sector also criticize the draft, saying it undermines the promised flexibility and trust in the labour market.

Government officials emphasize that the paper is still a “referentenentwurf” – an internal draft under discussion – and that final details will be negotiated with social partners before any parliamentary vote.