German Hotel Association Demands Weekly Working Hour Reform for All Businesses

The German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) in Saxony has voiced strong criticism of the federal labor ministry's proposed reforms concerning weekly working hours. The association argues that the current plans, which would allow for flexibility primarily through collective bargaining agreements, unfairly benefit a select group of businesses while excluding the majority.

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The coalition agreement promised more flexibility for all businesses. Now it becomes a privilege for a few.

Axel Klein, Dehoga's managing director, stated that the coalition agreement had promised more flexibility for all businesses. However, he contends that the current draft turns this promise into a privilege for a few, leaving small restaurants, family-run hotels, and owner-operated establishments behind. Dehoga is calling for the draft to be withdrawn and fundamentally revised, insisting that the maximum weekly working hours should apply universally to all businesses.

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This is not real flexibilization, but a de facto coercion into collective bargaining structures through the back door.

Jens Dzurny, the Saxon Dehoga president, added that employees also desire more self-determination and better work-life balance. He argued that the proposed reliance on collective bargaining agreements excludes many workers from the intended flexibility. Furthermore, Dehoga is actively opposing the planned introduction of electronic working time recording, emphasizing the need for solutions that genuinely support the integration of work, family, and leisure time for employees in the hospitality sector.

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Employees also wish for more self-determination.