BERLIN, July 6 (UPI) -- Some German experts and industry leaders are calling for 50-hour work weeks to save German jobs.
"In order to protect jobs, people must work 50 hours per week," Klaus Zimmerman, president of the German Institute for Economic Research, told German newspaper Bild.
Ulrich Ramm, head economist at Commerzbank, told the paper he considers a 50-hour work week a sensible option. Ramm added in time German workers might once again be able to reduce their hours.
Michael Huether, director of the Institute of the German Economy, called for a general increase in work week flexibility.
The expert comments come at a time when many German unions are fighting to keep their members' work weeks well below 40 hours.
At the same time, some unions have shown willingness to compromise in limited situations. Powerful union IG Metall agreed to extend to 40 hours the work weeks of about 2,000 Siemens workers, whose jobs would otherwise likely have been outsourced to Hungary.
