The steel industry will have to change significantly in the coming years in order to be able to cope with the climate targets.Image: dpa / Sina Schuldt
Deutschland
The idea sounds promising for many employees: Instead of five days, work only four days – with full wage compensation. For many Brits, this dream has already become a reality in the past year. As part of a pilot project, thousands only had to work four days.
The final conclusion: More than four out of five of the participating companies want to stick to the concept. After the end of the test phase, 56 of 61 employers stated that they wanted to keep the four-day week – 18 even confirmed that the concept had already been introduced permanently.
Shorter working hours are good for your health
It seems that the reduction in working hours is not a bad idea. Occupational psychologist Dieter Zapf explained in one previous conversation with watson also that working more than 40 hours a week would have an enormous impact on the health of workers. At the same time, two days at the weekend are often not enough to relieve the exhaustion that has built up over the week. Thinks: One more day off helps.
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Nevertheless, the German economy is more conspicuous with the demand for the exact opposite. Last year, Siegfried Russwurm, President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), declared that the weekly working time had to be increased to 42 hours – This is the only way to counteract the shortage of skilled workers.
Union demands 4-day week against shortage of skilled workers
An idea that a trade union is now diametrically opposed to. The chief negotiator for IG Metall in the north-west German steel industry, Knut Giesler, wants to go into the next wage round with the demand for the introduction of the four-day week with full wage compensation.
In order to make the steel industry fit for the future, the industry wants to rely on green steel.Image: dpa / Patrick Pleul
“We want to achieve real relief for the employees without them earning less as a result”said Giesler of “West German General Newspaper“. According to him, such a step would be a great advance for the quality of life and the health of the employees.
In the north-west German steel industry with the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Hesse and Bremen, the pilot agreement is usually achieved for the entire branch.
Positive feedback from the workforce on the four-day week
The feedback from the steel workforce so far has been extremely positive, said Giesler. At the same time, he believes that the four-day week would make the steel industry more attractive to young people, who will be urgently needed in the coming years when the coal-based heavy industry is converted to green steel. At the same time, the four-day week is also a way of preventing the job losses that are to be expected as part of the green transformation of the steel industry.
According to the report, Giesler specifically envisages reducing the weekly working time from 35 to 32 hours with full wage compensation for the introduction of the four-day week in the steel industry. However, this is much easier to implement in administration and in two-shift operation than in three-shift operation.
According to the newspaper, IG Metall assumes that this reduction will take a long time, possibly several years – also in order not to overwhelm the employer when changing the service and shift schedules. “We need longer creep-in times here,” said Giesler.
Knut Giesler is the chief negotiator for IG Metall in the northwest German steel industry. Image: dpa / Marius Becker
Twitter users have mixed opinions about the four-day week
On Twitter, many users hope that the steel industry will not be the only sector when reduced working hours are introduced. Some even announce that they are changing their profession.
Others, however, obviously already feel unfairly treated. For example, a user writes: “But I should work at least until I’m 67. That must be this solidarity and this generational contract.” Another grumbles: “What’s that all about? Everyone only wants to work from home, 4 days a week, 25 hours. But maximum social benefits!?!?! Who should pay for it then? What’s going on in this country?”
It is clear that even if the union could implement its goals, it would still take a while before they really became concrete.
(With material from the dpa)
