SPD: Bas distances himself from relaxing the eight-hour workday:
In the coalition agreement, the SPD agreed to a relaxation of the eight-hour workday ...
zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2026-05/baerbel-bas-acht-stunden-tag-arbeitnehmerrechte-spd-friedrich-merz
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Bas Distances Herself from Working-Time ReformThe coalition agreement proposes a weekly maximum; Bas plans to submit the reform draft by the end of June.
- Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) distanced herself from the agreed relaxation while acknowledging its inclusion in the coalition agreement.
- The agreement proposes a weekly rather than daily maximum, while Germany generally currently permits no more than eight hours daily.
- Bas plans to submit her reform draft by the end of June and re-engage social partners after failed talks.
- The DGB firmly rejects the change; Yasmin Fahimi warned against being pushed back to conditions before 1918.
I promise you: I will continue to fight against the erosion of workers' rights, especially when it comes to the health and occupational safety of employees.— Bärbel Bas, Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs (SPD), at the DGB Bundeskongress in Berlin
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centre-left political party in Germany
agreement between political parties to form a coalition government in a multi-party parliamentary system
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