The German chancellor argues that shorter hours and high sick leave are hurting growth, as Europe’s largest economy struggles with stagnation, labor shortages and rising unemployment.
During a visit by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Berlin last year, Merz praised labor market deregulation in Athens that allowed a six-day workweek. He said Germans who consider a 40-hour week unreasonable should “take a look at Greece,” adding that Germany could learn from the country in this area. He acknowledged, however, that German labor productivity remains much higher.
Same shit different day, so here’s what I said the last time this brainrot hit the news:
Someone does not understand what productivity means and how it’s meaningfully improved.
If you (you being the proverbial CDU brain here) need people to marginally increase their working hours, in order to achieve higher economic output, you’re in deep trouble. The increased output is also marginal and a one time boost. If you want meaningfully higher economic output, with sustained growth, you have to use machines and automation to achieve more with the same work hours. In other words you gotta do productive capital investment. Unfortunately conservative brains can only think of the cheapest solution (for businesses) first, at the expense of workers quality and quantity of life.
Same shit different day, so here’s what I said the last time this brainrot hit the news:
I already do way over 40 hours, I’m just not getting paid for all of it, so this changes nothing except my motivation to do overtime.