Stihl CEO backs longer workweeks without pay increase, reigniting German labor debate
Executive summary: Nikolas Stihl publicly supported proposals to extend the standard workweek beyond 35 hours without corresponding wage increases, aligning with prior comments by Martin Brudermüller of Mercedes-Benz. The intervention escalates tensions in Germany’s upcoming autumn collective bargaining rounds, where labor costs and competitiveness are central issues for industrial employers.
Who is involved: Nikolas Stihl (Stihl Group), Martin Brudermüller (Mercedes-Benz), German trade unions (notably IG Metall), and employer associations in manufacturing.
Likely next: Stihl’s comments will likely be cited in employer negotiations as justification for pushing back on wage demands, potentially hardening union resistance and increasing strike risks in key sectors.
Nikolas Stihl, entrepreneur and owner of the Stihl Group, has publicly endorsed calls for longer working hours without wage compensation, echoing earlier remarks by Mercedes-Benz supervisory board chair Martin Brudermüller. His remarks, made amid ongoing autumn wage negotiations in Germany’s manufacturing sector, frame the 35-hour workweek as an outdated luxury. The statement intensifies pressure on unions and employers ahead of critical tariff talks, positioning Stihl as a vocal advocate for flexibility in labor rules amid competitiveness concerns.
Timeline
- — Industrie: Unternehmer Stihl mahnt: „Können uns eine 35-Stunden-Woche nicht mehr leisten“ (Handelsblatt)
- — Streit um Arbeitszeit: Unternehmer Stihl: 35-Stunden-Woche nicht mehr zeitgemäß (Handelsblatt)
Analysis — what this means
Likely next events
- Autumn 2026 tariff negotiations in Germany’s metal and electrical industries begin September 2026
- IG Metall to respond to employer proposals by mid-September 2026
- Stihl Group to detail operational competitiveness concerns in September investor briefing
Sectors affected
- Power tools manufacturing
- German industrial manufacturing
- Labor-intensive export sectors
Regulatory implications
- Potential challenges to EU Working Time Directive adherence if sectoral agreements deviate
- Monitor for labor ministry statements on collective bargaining autonomy limits
Historical parallels
- 1984 German metalworkers’ strike for 35-hour week (IG Metall victory)
- 2015 Volkswagen works council debate on flexible hours amid cost pressures
- 2018 Daimler shift to 40-hour week for non-union staff under competitiveness argument
Key entities
Sources
- Industrie: Unternehmer Stihl mahnt: „Können uns eine 35-Stunden-Woche nicht mehr leisten“ — Handelsblatt
- Streit um Arbeitszeit: Unternehmer Stihl: 35-Stunden-Woche nicht mehr zeitgemäß — Handelsblatt