Labor Day: Werneke Fights Against Possible 13-Hour Workdays
Employee advocate Werneke raises concerns over the potential elimination of the traditional eight-hour workday. - Workday's potential imminent demise warned by Werneke
Frank Werneke, the big cheese of Verdi, is using Labor Day to rally against the proposed labor reforms of the Union and SPD in Germany. According to Werneke, these reforms will open the door to 13-hour workdays and make them legally acceptable. "If these reforms go through, thousands of workers in retail, package delivery, logistics, care, and numerous other sectors will be under immense pressure," warns Werneke. He dubs the strain unbearable.
The coalition's plan is to create an option for weekly, rather than daily, work hour maximums. While maintaining the standards in occupational safety and existing rest period regulations.
Verdi: Employees Endure 600 Million Overtime Hours
Germany has been sticking to the eight-hour workday since 1918. The current labor code clearly states: "The daily working hours of employees may not exceed eight hours." Exception exists for up to ten hours per day.
Werneke cautions that under the pretense of supposed bureaucratic reduction, the social state and protective rights are under siege. The Working Hours Act serves as an example, according to Werneke: "Employees are already putting in 600 million overtime hours, and they cannot reduce them due to the work pressure."
- Frank Werneke
- Germany
- United Services Trade Union (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft)
- Reform Plan
- Berlin
- Logistics
- Care
Proposed Labor Reforms in Germany: A Deep Dive
The proposed labor reforms in Germany's 2025 coalition agreement (CDU/CSU-SPD) focus on flexibility and tax incentives, with these key elements likely to affect retail, logistics, and care sectors:
1. Weekly vs. Daily Working Time Limits
The SPD-backed plan moves towards a weekly maximum working hour framework (rather than daily limits), aligning with the EU Working Time Directive's 48-hour weekly cap (averaged over 4 months). For sectors like retail and logistics, this could enable compressed workweeks (e.g., 4 longer days) or variable shifts. However, the 11-hour daily rest period remains mandatory, which may limit extreme flexibility in care roles requiring continuous staffing.
2. Tax-Free Overtime Bonuses
Overtime hours beyond 34–40 hours (depending on collective agreements) will enjoy tax-free bonuses. This could incentivize extended hours in logistics (e.g., peak seasons) and care (staff shortages), but risks overburdening employees if not paired with adequate rest periods.
3. Trust-Based Working Hours & Time Tracking
Trust-based models unencumbered by electronic tracking will remain permissible under EU rules, but mandatory digital time recording will be introduced, with transitional relief for SMEs. Retail and care sectors, typically relying on part-time staff, may face administrative adjustments but benefit from clearer overtime documentation.
4. Retirement-Age Work Incentives
Employees working past retirement age can earn up to €2,000/month tax-free. Addressing labor shortages in care and logistics, but relying solely on older workers without addressing systemic understaffing could strain existing employees.
The reforms aim to balance employee flexibility with employer needs, but their success hinges on sector-specific collective agreements and safeguards against exploitation.
- Frank Werneke, representing the United Services Trade Union (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft) in Germany, opposes the proposed labor reforms in Berlin, stating that these reforms could lead to 13-hour workdays in sectors like retail, package delivery, logistics, care, and numerous others.
- The proposed reform plan aims to create a weekly maximum working hour framework, aligning with the EU Working Time Directive's 48-hour weekly cap, which could enable compressed workweeks or variable shifts in sectors like retail and logistics, but may limit flexibility in care roles.
- The reform plan also includes tax-free overtime bonuses for hours worked beyond 34–40 hours (depending on collective agreements), which could incentivize extended hours in logistics and care, but risks overburdening employees if not paired with adequate rest periods.
- In terms of vocational training, the reforms could have an impact on workplace-wellness and health-and-science, as employees working past retirement age can earn up to €2,000/month tax-free, potentially leading to more workers in sectors like care and logistics, but relying solely on older workers could strain existing employees.
