The Employment Motive in Working Time Policy

Abstract

Since the Industrial Revolution, Germany has been confronted with the periodical appearance of unemployment. One of the main working-time-related policy objectives of unions is the employment motive, the aim of which is to reduce unemployment. The article is concerned with the history of the employment motive in working time policy and relates it to other motives of working time policy (humanisation motive, emancipation motive). Discussed in the historical context are: working time policy in the early industrial society, the high-industrial stage of working time policy, and the renaissance of the employment motive in the 'crisis of the working society'. Since the mid-1970s, the call for working time reduction has been part of the employment-related political motives of unions. Between employees and employers it is disputed how many jobs the period of working time reduction has saved during the 'crisis of the working society'. It is for certain, however, that another instrument for overcoming crises has been developed in the employment-politically motivated reduction of working time since 1980. In the author's opinion, all forms of employment-politically motivated reductions of working time have one basic 'solidarity' feature in common: The decreasing amount of labour is to be redistributed to avoid layoffs and to create new jobs. (IAB)

Cite article

Promberger, M. (2009): Das Beschäftigungsmotiv in der Arbeitszeitpolitik. In: T. Raithel & T. Schlemmer (Hrsg.) (2009): Die Rückkehr der Arbeitslosigkeit : die Bundesrepublik Deutschland im europäischen Kontext 1973 bis 1989 (Zeitgeschichte im Gespräch, 05), p. 161-173.