German draft law would allow longer Sunday work in bakeries

German Labour Minister Alexander Schweitzer has proposed changes to employment rules in a draft law aimed at making it easier for companies to hire.

The proposal would let bakeries and pastry shops employ staff for longer on Sundays and public holidays to make and deliver goods sold that day.

It would also allow some fixed-term contracts without a stated reason to last up to four years, with as many as six extensions, for hires made through the end of 2030.

The draft would reduce dismissal protections for employees earning about €180,000 a year or more, a group experts estimate is around 0.27% of workers.

These measures are part of a wider reform package intended to help Germany's economy, and the draft also proposes changes affecting libraries and worker representation at some large companies.

The government will discuss the draft before a planned December cabinet decision, after which it is due to go to parliament; the changes are intended to take effect in early 2027.