The World Cup only comes around every four years so when it does, people want nothing more than to pack into a bar and blindly yell and scream in the name of their country. They may even have a beer or 12.
Germany unions ask for time off during World Cup
“The match didn’t end until midnight, I didn’t leave the pub until 2 a.m. and my head hurts so just leave me be, boss.”
Lars Baron
Now imagine doing that, only your team’s match doesn’t end until midnight, you don’t get out of the pub until a couple hours later and you have to be at work at 6 a.m.
Goddamn, the World Cup can suck.
But Germans need not fear because their unions are working on getting that fixed for them. German union bosses are asking companies to allow workers to come into work late during the World Cup. Because of the time difference between Germany and Brazil, some matches will start late into the night and won't finish until after midnight.
“It would a noble move by employers if they showed a bit of flexibility during the World Cup,” said Robert Feiger, head of the construction, engineering and forestry union IGBAU. “For Germany games after 10 p.m., work should start a little bit later if possible.”
“Employers and work councils should talk about rearranging shifts so that their staff can watch World Cup games,” said Michael Vassiliadis of IG BCE, a union representing the mining, chemicals and recycling industries, where early shifts often start at 6 a.m.
If nothing else, union bosses can’t be accused of being pessimists. Germany actually drew early matches throughout the group stage so the first time they could possibly play the 10 p.m. match would be the round of 16.
Then again, with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, Manuel Neuer, Mario Gotze, Marco Reus and the rest of Germany's absurd collection of talent, the round of 16 is a safe bet. Almost as safe a bet as workers showing up hungover (or still drunk).
See More:
