In an opinion piece for Euronews, Dr Nikolas Stihl, chairman of world-leading chainsaw maker STIHL, calls for reforms including a 40-hour working week without extra pay to safeguard Germany's prosperity and welfare state.View on euronews
No. It’s a trade union deal that makes the basis hours 35 a week. Then if you work 40 you get paid more and on top you get some bonus once a year.
It is little nuts but in the end we don’t even earn that much more than the rest of industry so it’s more like a cultural phenomenon by now in my eyes.
Source: I do programming but for a company that runs under IgMetall trade union deal.
He’s making some points that might be valid, depending on how long a german work week is. Last I heard a friend from Bavaria was making thrice my salary doing a similar job. If he’s working a 15h week, that’d be extreme.
I’m from Sweden where a 40 hour work week is the norm.
OK. I know nothing about Germany and I’m willing to bet an unreasonable amount of money that they do not have a standard 15 hour work week. If they have anything less than 30 hours a week I would be able to hear the histrionics from the WSJ editorial board all the way on the other side of the continent.
Regardless, if the company is making money without ripping off their customers and suppliers then why would a short work week be unreasonable? The founders and investors can reap all the benefit from the company doing well but the people investing their time and energy can kick rocks?
35-37 hours is standard in Germany. Bavaria is one of the most expensive regions so depending on where you live in Sweden it might be like comparing yourself to silicon valley or Switzerland.
Productivity is high enough to support living wages for people and those wages need to keep up with whatever is the cost of living in an area. A rich asshole who has never worked a day in his life telling everyone else to work more for nothing is completely removed from any truth or reality.
Wait a minute, how short is a german work week? O.o
40 hours equally split over five days (Monday to Friday) usually, if you work full time
Dr Stihl is complaining about 35h workers. Seems white collar work is less hours?
No. It’s a trade union deal that makes the basis hours 35 a week. Then if you work 40 you get paid more and on top you get some bonus once a year.
It is little nuts but in the end we don’t even earn that much more than the rest of industry so it’s more like a cultural phenomenon by now in my eyes.
Source: I do programming but for a company that runs under IgMetall trade union deal.
Does it matter?
He’s making some points that might be valid, depending on how long a german work week is. Last I heard a friend from Bavaria was making thrice my salary doing a similar job. If he’s working a 15h week, that’d be extreme.
I’m from Sweden where a 40 hour work week is the norm.
OK. I know nothing about Germany and I’m willing to bet an unreasonable amount of money that they do not have a standard 15 hour work week. If they have anything less than 30 hours a week I would be able to hear the histrionics from the WSJ editorial board all the way on the other side of the continent.
Regardless, if the company is making money without ripping off their customers and suppliers then why would a short work week be unreasonable? The founders and investors can reap all the benefit from the company doing well but the people investing their time and energy can kick rocks?
35-37 hours is standard in Germany. Bavaria is one of the most expensive regions so depending on where you live in Sweden it might be like comparing yourself to silicon valley or Switzerland.
Productivity is high enough to support living wages for people and those wages need to keep up with whatever is the cost of living in an area. A rich asshole who has never worked a day in his life telling everyone else to work more for nothing is completely removed from any truth or reality.
40hrs a week is too much, sick of the enabling i live in the USA where if you’re sitting while you work(labor) you’re considered lazy