In subtle shift, German companies push some workers to put in longer hours

[Judi Lynn]

In subtle shift, German companies push some workers to put in longer hours


By DAVID McHUGH
The Associated Press
5/13/04 2:50 PM


FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- The 220 technicians at a Siemens phone repair lab in Germany faced a choice: work five hours more a week for the same pay -- or don't work at all.

They found there wasn't much to decide.

By giving up their 35-hour week, won by German industrial workers in a seven-week strike 20 years ago, the employees kept their jobs from heading to low-wage Hungary. They also won a no-layoff pledge from Siemens.

Longer work weeks are a possibility increasingly faced by German workers as industry, under pressure from cheaper wages abroad and a sluggish economy at home, tries to cut soaring labor costs.
(snip/...)

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0164_BC_Germany-WorkingLonger&&news&newsflash-financial

[BayCityProgressive]

1. at least they get the option!

here you could work 80 hours and still have your job shipped away.

[Ready4Change]

2. The german workers will discover much the same.

The extra 5 hours won't be enough to make up for what the top execs will see as lost profits. The plans for moving work to Hungary will continue, but the German Factories will have 5 hours a week more production until that time.

Mark my word. In about a year it will be announced that, for the companies very survival, the jobs must be moved. By then corporate lawyers will ahve figured a way to nullify the contract.

[hughee99]

3. On the bright side...

it's not like a 40 hour week will kill them or anything. Here they can make you work an 80 hour week with no guarantees or promises.

[LincolnMcGrath]

7. By all means

Cheerlead for a giveback. :toast:

[Kellanved]

8. possible

And ten years later the Hungarian Workers will discover that someone else is cheaper still.

[ze_dscherman]

4. It's not only companies

Local and state governments have cancelled tariff agreements and forced employees to work longer. Some are up to 42 hours now.
In the private sector, wages have come under pressure, and working overtime (with or without compensation) is very common.

[Thor_MN]

5. Hey, you have to pay for the 27% increase in US CEO pay somehow

Don't you? You have to make up for all that money they are now paying in increased taxes on the ultra-rich, oh wait...

[Kellanved]

6. not to mention the failed plans of managers

The lost investment of Schremp's recently failed Asia adventure alone is more than Daimler has ever saved by moving jobs to low-wage countries.