German Labor Union Head Criticizes Debate on Working Hours in Germany
The head of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB), Yasmin Fahimi, has sharply criticized the debate on working hours in Germany, sparked by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s (CDU) recent comments. Fahimi called on the government to provide a clear statement and reject the notion that Germans do not work enough.
“This claim is an outrageous narrative that unfairly puts employees on the spot” Fahimi said in an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. “It is a dangerous game to shift the blame for the economic crisis to the employees. I urge the government to decisively reject this depiction.”
Fahimi also criticized the Institute of the German Economy (IW) for a comparison published over the weekend, based on OECD data. “The debate on working hours is completely distorted: the OECD comparison mixes data on full-time and part-time work” Fahimi said to the RND. “That’s like comparing apples and oranges and the statistics are therefore relatively worthless. Germany has one of the highest part-time employment rates in Europe – that’s the decisive factor.”
Fahimi emphasized that full-time employees in Germany work more than 40 hours a week, which is in line with the EU average. She also pointed out that the focus on a four-day workweek and work-life balance is misguided, as it would not ensure the country’s prosperity.
Merz had previously stated at a CDU economic council meeting that “we must work more and more efficiently in this country. With a four-day workweek and work-life balance, we cannot preserve the prosperity of this country.