Do Germans work sufficiently? - Kretschmer supports a 40-hour workweek for all individuals.
Three and a half months prior to the state elections in Saxony (September 1st), Kretschmer is going against demands, especially from the left, to work no more than 35 hours or less. During an interview with "Handelsblatt", he stated, "We can't afford to spend more money than we have. This sort of policy leads to national bankruptcy. Our goal is to emerge from the crisis with growth and full employment, which I see as a 40-hour week for everyone. That's how things will progress swiftly."
In 2001, Germany implemented the right to part-time work under the previous red-green government. However, Kretschmer currently favors less part-time work.
Part-time Should Be an Exemption
During the interview, he went on, "It was a mistake to transform alternatives like part-time work from an exception to a legally protected regulation. Part-time work is the exception, not the standard. This is the sole way to preserve Germany's prosperity. It involves very fundamental benefits: free education, high levels of internal security, pension insurance, health insurance, and long-term care insurance."
Yet, more and more people are indeed working part-time today – in 2023, this represented roughly 31% of all staff. Women, and especially mothers, constitute a significant portion of part-time workers. They frequently reduce their hours for family reasons.
Will Kretschmer's initiative to lessen part-time work be successful down the line?
At present, the CDU cannot definitively claim victory in the upcoming elections on September 1st. Polls predict a tight competition with the AfD, whose state association has been categorized as "definitely right-wing extremist" by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
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Source: symclub.org
