Political Clash Over Restricting Legal Right to Part-Time Work in Germany

A heated political debate is unfolding in Germany regarding a proposal from the Union's economic wing to restrict the legal right to part-time work. Alexander Schweitzer, deputy chairman of the SPD, vehemently criticized the proposal, stating on Deutschlandfunk that the notion of widespread "lifestyle part-time" workers is largely a misconception. He highlighted that many employees, particularly women and older workers, involuntarily work part-time due to family commitments or caregiving responsibilities, not out of choice.

Schweitzer pointed to statistics showing 1.3 billion overtime hours logged in 2023 as evidence of a hardworking workforce, rejecting any implication that Germans are lazy. The proposal supported by the Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT) would limit part-time rights to specific reasons such as child-rearing, caregiving, or further education. This has sparked strong opposition not only from the SPD but also from within the CDU itself.

Gordon Schnieder, CDU chief in Rhineland-Palatinate, criticized the suggested limits as a "crazy idea," emphasizing instead the need to make full-time jobs more attractive through tax incentives and reduced burdens. Labor market expert Stefan Sell from Koblenz University also disputed claims of prevalent lifestyle part-time workers, noting the unprecedented amount of total work being done and that very few can afford part-time work purely for lifestyle reasons.

The current friction underscores differing perspectives on balancing labor market flexibility with workers' rights amid Germany's evolving workforce demographics. With the CDU party congress slated for February, the debate on whether and how to amend the legal entitlements for part-time work is poised to continue.