Business & Finance
German automakers push for longer workweek as unions stage nationwide protests
Deutsche Welle reports that German carmakers want employees to work 40 hours without additional pay to lower costs.
The short version
- German carmakers are proposing to increase working hours from 35 to 40 per week without pay raises to address high labor costs and boost competitiveness.[Deutsche Welle]
- The IG Metall trade union strongly opposes the proposal and is staging nationwide demonstrations across more than 200 locations on September 21.[Deutsche Welle]
- Major automakers are cutting thousands of positions, including up to 100,000 jobs at Volkswagen by 2030 and up to 8,000 at BMW by 2027.[Deutsche Welle]
- Industry analyst Ferdinand Dudenhöffer projects automotive workforce numbers could fall to 500,000 by 2030.[Deutsche Welle]
Key facts
- German car manufacturers have proposed increasing the workweek from 35 to 40 hours without extra pay to improve competitiveness.[Deutsche Welle]
- IG Metall organized nationwide protests at over 200 locations on September 21 to oppose job cuts and workweek changes.[Deutsche Welle]
- Volkswagen aims to cut around 15% of its global workforce, representing approximately 100,000 jobs, by the end of the decade.[Deutsche Welle]
- BMW plans to eliminate up to 8,000 jobs, or about 5% of its workforce, by the end of 2027.[Deutsche Welle]
- According to Oliver Wyman, average labor costs per vehicle in Germany are $3,307, compared to $769 in Japan and $597 in China.[Deutsche Welle]
What remains uncertain
- The exact total long-term reduction in auto industry jobs remains an estimate, with analyst Ferdinand Dudenhöffer projecting a drop to 500,000 by around 2030.[Deutsche Welle]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- Germany's car crisis: Can the 35-hour workweek survive?Deutsche Welle