Germany: working time in textile sector in east and west to be aligned by 2027 under new agreement in east German sector (in brief)

The plan is part of a deal agreed during the night of 29 April between the union IG Metall and the employer federation VTI (for the textile industry in Lander in East Germany). It is the principle development highlighted by the union, which wrote in a statement: “In concrete terms, this alignment means a reduction of the weekly working hours of textile employees in East Germany from 40 hours to 37 hours, as is already applicable in west Germany, in six stages by 2027, and the result of the negotiations also provides for a faster reduction of the working time of textile suppliers for the automotive industry.” Jörg Hofmann, president of IG Metall, says: “The wage agreement in the East German textile industry is an important milestone. With the levelling out of working time, 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we have finally managed to reverse the trend here. The equal treatment and, as such, the recognition of the performance of workers in East Germany is long overdue.” Also under the agreement, wages will increase by 2.6% as of 1 June 2019, by 1.6% from 1 August 2020 and by 2.0% from 1 September 2021. The collective agreement is binding for a period of 36 months and expires on 30 April 2022. Some 16,000 people work in the textile sector in Lander in East Germany.