Current Events > Germany's largest union pushes for 28 hour work week

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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/germany-working-hours-trade-unions-push-better-pay-workers-a7992906.html

Germanys largest trade union pushed for shorter working hours and 6 per cent more pay for the 3.9 million workers in the metals and electrical sectors on Tuesday, in what it said was a drive for a better work-life balance.

The demand by IG Metall reflects growing self-confidence among trade unions as Europes biggest economy is set to grow by roughly 2 per cent this year and unionists say employees should get a fair share of the success.

There is no reason for restraint, IG Metall head Joerg Hofmann told reporters, pointing to solid growth in the industrial sector and the economys overall strong performance.

The demanded 6 per cent pay hike compares with a national claim for 5 per cent in the last round in early 2016, which resulted in a settlement of a 2.8 per cent increase on 1 July 2016 and a further 2 per cent on 1 April 2017.

Mr Hofmann also called for a fundamental change in the way managers deal with working time. Employees now put a bigger emphasis on work-life balance and this requirement for more flexibility must be reflected in any wage deal, he said.

IG Metall is campaigning for a right to reduce weekly hours to 28 from 35 with a right to return to full-time work after two years for shift workers and those caring for children or other relatives.

The unions strategy reflects changing working preferences of employees who want more private time instead of more pay. Some want to care for their children or ailing parents, others want to engage in communal work.

The head of the employers association Gesamtmetall, Rainer Dulger, has already rejected the demand for a 28-hour week, saying this would exacerbate shortages of skilled workers.

The demands, presented by IG Metalls board for the 2018 wage negotiations, still need to be approved by its regional branches on 24 October.

The proposal would bring mixed blessings to the European Central Banks efforts to get inflation back up to its target of at, or just below, 2 per cent.

A shorter week of 28 hours instead of 35 could lead to less dynamic wage growth in the currency blocs largest economy if employers should agree to the demand during negotiations in exchange for an overall more moderate pay hike.

But conversely the need for more workers that this could engender and the demand for 6 per cent wage growth would add to wage pressure.

God bless
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And then all of Germany's jobs got sent overseas.
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Agreed with TC, God Bless. This stupidity will be the death knell of unions. They're a relic from last century.
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Have unions have helped anyone?
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literal_garbage posted...

Have unions have helped anyone?

Do you have to work this weekend?
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Antifar posted...

literal_garbage posted...

Have unions have helped anyone?

Do you have to work this weekend?

I don't see what that has to do with unions
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Antifar posted...

literal_garbage posted...

Have unions have helped anyone?

Do you have to work this weekend?

Yes
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Antifar posted...

literal_garbage posted...

Have unions have helped anyone?

Do you have to work this weekend?

Dawg lots and lots of people work weekends lol.

But good. Ich liebe Deutschland.
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Antifar posted...

There is no reason for restraint,

Famous last words
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The Admiral posted...

This stupidity will be the death knell of unions. They're a relic from last century.

imagine believing this. Without Unions companies could fuck their workers over, even more easily.
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@Antifar

Science Says You Should Only Spend 39 Hours At Work Each Week

The study, which was carried out by researchers at Australian National University, examined a pool of 8,000 Australians in the workforce.

It found when women worked more than 34 hours per week and men spent over 47 hours a week working, they were more likely to experience mental illness and symptoms of distress such as nervousness or feeling low.

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Paper_Okami posted...

The Admiral posted...

This stupidity will be the death knell of unions. They're a relic from last century.

imagine believing this. Without Unions companies could fuck their workers over, even more easily.

Most U.S. workers do not belong to a union and are not getting fucked over by their employer.
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Honestly for a lot of office jobs you could probably work for 20 hours a week actually working most or all of that time and get the same amount of work done as if you """work""" 40 hours a week, a lot of which is just wasting time.

I like working 50 hours a week and soaking up that sweet sweet overtime
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Antifar posted...

Germanys largest trade union pushed for shorter working hours and 6 per cent more pay

So you want to get paid more to do less? And I assume raise your membership dues that you force employers to take out of ALL their employees checks?

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FUCK YOU, UNION.
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Antifar posted...

literal_garbage posted...

Have unions have helped anyone?

Do you have to work this weekend?

That was Henry Ford's invention to entice workers away from GM and Chrysler, not Unions wanting something.
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literal_garbage posted...

Have unions have helped anyone?

Yes. About eighty years ago.

This is fucking crazy. Although, if it goes through... and actually works....
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Zeus posted...

This is fucking crazy. Although, if it goes through... and actually works....

The open secret is that white-collar workers have roughly a ten-hour work-week. Two hours a day doing something actually productive, and the rest just fucking off or stuck in pointless meetings.

The Admiral posted...

Paper_Okami posted...

The Admiral posted...

This stupidity will be the death knell of unions. They're a relic from last century.

imagine believing this. Without Unions companies could fuck their workers over, even more easily.

Most U.S. workers do not belong to a union and are not getting fucked over by their employer.

To be fair, unions have done much more to improve my life than you have. Therefore you are completely useless.
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Unions do nothing but cause companies do go under
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Imagine only working 28 hours a week. That's literally half of my average work week, all that time off...
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