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Berlin (dpa) - Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) has to take severe criticism from the top of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB) for his draft law on mobile working.
"This bill needs a significant upgrade in the interests of the employees," said DGB boss Reiner Hoffmann of the German press agency in Berlin.
"Otherwise there is not much left of the promise to create future options and more security for employees in mobile work or in the home office."
According to the Heils bill, employees are to be given the right to notify the employer of the start, duration, scope and distribution of desired mobile work.
The employer should have to specifically respond to the application.
If he rejects the application, he should have to give reasons in writing after two months at the latest.
Otherwise the home office is automatically considered to be set.
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Hoffmann welcomed the fact that the coalition was now negotiating the issue again.
Heil originally wanted to create a legal right to work from home for 24 days per year, but this failed because of the Union.
According to the DGB boss, there is now a threat of great disappointment.
If Heil's draft comes in its current form, it will be considerably more difficult for employees to implement their own wishes for self-determined mobile work, said Hoffmann.
The original legal claim will be weakened.
And an originally planned right of co-determination for mobile work should not exist after the intervention of the CDU.
"Both are completely unacceptable, because they limit the possibilities for more self-determination from all sides," said Hoffmann.
"Works councils need better options for the introduction and design of mobile work and home office, not least to counter new tensions in the company, to improve the equipment and to ensure that home office is really voluntary in normal times," said the DGB boss .
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A survey by the union-related Hans Böckler Foundation had shown that, before the corona pandemic, the manager often decided to work from home.
Character aptitude, for example in self-organization and discipline, was partly set as a criterion.
If working hours and the provision of infrastructure are regulated in company agreements, home office has been implemented more smoothly for everyone.
The DGB had emphasized that after the start of the pandemic, the works councils legally secured emergency measures taken quickly in the company - for example on the validity of digital meetings, for more home offices and short-time work.
For the question of whether Heil will prevail with his draft law, it now depends largely on the coalition partner Union.
From the labor market policy spokesman for the Union parliamentary group, Peter Weiß, came a brief, but not negative, comment.
"The right of discussion for home office corresponds to the coalition agreement," said white of the dpa.
The FDP labor market expert Johannes Vogel praised Heil for having given up "his completely impractical idea of a one-sided legal right to home office".
"But it is incredibly stubborn that you are still looking for a reform proposal for the outdated and rigid Working Hours Act in vain," Vogel told the dpa.
"Modern home offices either work with the modern working time law or not at all."
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201201-99-524116 / 2