Udo Dinglreiter, president of Gesamtmetall, has urged the federal government to implement the promised weekly working hours. “The coalition must introduce the weekly working hour regime-as agreed in the coalition contract-and secure trust‑based working hours without mandatory timekeeping. That would undoubtedly send a positive signal to businesses” he told the “Rheinische Post” on Saturday.

He emphasized that both employers and employees want this flexibility, but the intent is not to increase total hours. Rather, the goal is to distribute existing hours more flexibly.

At the same time Dinglreiter calls for a faster pace from the cabinet: “The direction is right, but under the Merz administration everything is moving too slowly. The analyses are completed; now action is required. By the summer break the key reforms must be enacted”.