The government of the conservative German Chancellor, to the horror of the Church and the trade unions, is considering relaxing Sunday work.

The German government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz is considering easing Sunday work restrictions, a move that has sparked outrage among religious groups and labor unions. The proposal comes amid economic stagnation and aims to boost consumer spending by allowing more retail businesses to operate on Sundays. However, the plan faces constitutional challenges and resistance from both the Catholic Church and trade unions, who view Sunday as a day of rest and spiritual upliftment, protected by law since 1956. The discussion was initiated with a draft from Germany’s Ministry of Labour dated July 1, 2026, which outlines plans to allow bakeries and confectioneries to operate until 8 a.m. on Sundays starting January 1, 2027, while bookstores would be permitted to open until 6 a.m. These changes aim to make city centers more attractive and vibrant, according to some industry representatives. However, critics argue that even these limited adjustments fall short of addressing broader economic concerns. The German Retail Federation (HDE) has criticized the proposed measures as insufficient. Its chief executive, Stefan Genth, stated that the federation advocates for a complete opening of stores to ensure urban areas remain lively, targeting up to ten to twelve working Sundays annually at the national level. Nils Busch-Petersen, director of the Berlin-Brandenburg Retail Association, went further, suggesting that decisions about Sunday operations should be left to retailers and consumers. He noted that selling a shirt on Sunday technically violates current laws, calling this approach “complete nonsense” in the internet age. Economists have mixed views on the potential benefits of relaxing Sunday work rules. Kai Hudetz from the Institute for Trade Research (IFH) points out that online retailers already see Sundays as their strongest day of the week, implying that physical stores could similarly benefit from increased operating hours. Meanwhile, the IFO Institute concluded there is no solid economic basis for restricting Sunday work hours and suggested that liberalizing such rules could yield positive effects on the economy, recommending the complete removal of restrictions and delegating decisions to local authorities. However, Professor Michael Oberfichtner warns that allowing additional workdays might pose challenges for rural stores in finding enough staff for Sunday shifts. Additionally, owners would face extra costs related to energy and labor. According to estimates from the retail sector, stationary commerce loses approximately €2.5 billion annually in sales to online platforms, leading to the loss of around 40,000 jobs within the industry. Trade union Ver.di strongly opposes the liberalization of Sunday work without compromises. Silke Zimmer, a board member responsible for retail, emphasized that free Sundays for retail workers are the only predictable day off in the week for family, friends, or volunteering activities and must therefore remain unchanged. Ver.di announced its intention to defend the issue before the Federal Constitutional Court if necessary. Implementation of broader liberalization, even with political will, encounters structural obstacles within the German federal system. Since 2006, the regulation of retail operating hours has been exclusively a state responsibility, each of Germany's 16 federal states has its own laws governing Sunday trading, with varying upper limits on the number of Sundays that can be worked annually, tied to special occasions such as fairs or city celebrations. This means the federal government cannot unilaterally set uniform Sunday working hours nationwide, even if it wished to. It can only modify general frameworks and sector-specific exceptions, such as those for bakeries and bookstores. Actual implementation of Sunday trading would require coordinated action from all 16 state governments and parliaments, many of which, like Bavaria, traditionally maintain stricter regulations. Additional layers of complexity arise from the need for consensus among various stakeholders, including religious institutions, labor organizations, and regional authorities. Each group brings distinct priorities and perspectives, making the path forward intricate and multifaceted.