Working hours: Working as it suits life

For a long time, the unions have only talked about wages. With your demand for shorter working hours, you are now making a nerve. Now the legislator is in demand.

Working hours: Working as it suits life
Content
  • Page 1 — work on how it fits into life
  • Page 2 — in Sweden, test six-hour day
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    IG Metall launches collective bargaining with a coup: in addition to six percent more wages, it demands a right to a temporary reduction in working hours. Workers should be able to reduce ir working hours to 28 hours per week for up to two years. Those who have small children or who care for mor should even receive a financial subsidy from employer.

    For employers, such demands are of course taboo, y are vehemently defending mselves. But union has struck a nerve with its demand. For far too long it was only talked about wage increases, but not about topics that are discussed in evening in family and with friends at beer: How much do we work? Is real life in all work too short?

    Every second is exhausted

    Almost every second worker is so exhausted after work that he can no longer take care of private or family affairs, so DGB index published today is good work. Especially working parents – especially women – and employees who care for ir relatives, feel overwhelmed. One in three workers suffers from sleep disorders.

    Such numbers do not surprise. More and more people are working in evening, at night, on weekends, on holidays and on Sundays and holidays. At same time, number of overtime hours is increasing: good 1.8 billion overtime has been accumulated by Germans in year 2015 alone. Only half of m will be paid and not all will be settled.

    Neverless, employers, but also recently FDP, are calling for more flexible working hours. Legally prescribed rest periods should be abolished. All this should allow more freedom. Those who go early in afternoon to take care of children should be allowed to answer e-mails in evening.

    A clear separation between work and life

    Only: This is exactly what many employees do not want, as DGB index shows. They want a clear line between work and leisure. This limit is not to be blurred by constant responsiveness. The thrust of IG Metall refore steers debate in right direction. It is not a question of making working hours more flexible. But it is about adapting m to wishes of people and ir everyday lives. This can also mean shortening working hours in certain stages of life, but later also to prolong m again.

    Date Of Update: 16 November 2017, 12:03
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