These negotiations, which involved all the German regions except Berlin and Hesse, had opened again after more than two months of interruption. Public sector agents had went on strike to defend the 38,5 hours work-week in the west -challenged by many regions- and to prevent the introduction of the 40 hours work-week. In East Germany, the 40 hours work-week has already applied for a long time.
The agreement envisages as from next 1 November a light increase in the working hours of Western...