Brazil 2014: Two German unions call for shifted hours due to late-night matches

The German unions IG BCE (mining) and IG BAU (construction) want their employees to be able to start work later in the morning during the World Cup in Brazil (from 12/06 to 13/07/2014), due to the late-night broadcast of matches, they announced on 22/04/2014.

"It would be a noble gesture on the part of employers to show some flexibility during the World Cup. They should, for example, shift work timetables by one or two hours on the days after German matches, because some of these could start at 22:00 if the team qualifies for the knockout stages," Robert Feiger, chief of the construction union (IG BAU), said to the German newspaper Bild on 22/04/2014.

"I think employers and work councils should all discuss adapting work schedules so that employees can watch the matches," Michael Vassiliadis, head of the mining, energy and chemistry union (IG BCE ), told Bild on 22/04/2014.

"We, the bosses, can make efforts with our employees regarding the matches of Germany," said Wolfgang Steiger, secretary-general of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the political party that Chancellor Angela…