'Time for a good life' - a position paper on reducing working hours

Various associations and individuals have been working together for months in a network on the topic of 'reducing working hours'. The AG Erwerbsarbeitsverkürzung in the Care Revolution network is also involved and a co-initiator. The participants share the hope that disputes will unite the concerns of different movements: the immediate aim is to reduce the burden of gainful employment, initially wage labour that can be regulated by collective agreements and the Working Hours Act. This is a fundamental concern of wage labourers. At the same time, however, successes in struggles over working hours open up scope for redistributing domestic care work and reducing resource-consuming and climate-damaging production. This is why feminist, climate justice and trade union movements can come together here in publications and labour struggles. The reduction of working hours is not THE, but an important starting point alongside, for example, the expansion of social infrastructure or employment-independent protection for all - albeit one where we hope for exciting, powerful alliances.

Firstly, a joint position paper has been produced, which can be downloaded here: 'Time for a good life - reducing working hours is emancipatory and solidary'. It sets out the argumentation only hinted at above. The first signatories are: 4-Stunden-Liga, AG Erwerbsarbeitszeitverkürzung im Netzwerk Care Revolution, Berliner Institut für kritische Theorie InkriT, Institut solidarische Moderne, Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie and as individuals Frigga Haug and Stephan Krull. We would be delighted to welcome further signatories, especially groups! In addition, the collaboration should not be limited to text production; we will continue to meet. If you would like to join us, please write to info@solidarische-moderne.de. If you are interested in our working group in the network, you can reach us at ag-eazv@care-revolution.org.