Germany's auto crisis: Can the 35-hour workweek survive?

German automotive manufacturers are proposing an increase in the standard workweek from 35 to 40 hours without additional compensation. The industry argues that this shift is a necessary measure to bolster competitiveness amid the country's ongoing automotive crisis.

Labor unions have rejected the proposal, characterizing the move as an infringement on established workers' rights. The conflict highlights the tension between industrial efforts to reduce operational costs and the protection of existing labor agreements within the German manufacturing sector.