BERLIN -- BMW will cut working hours at its plant in eastern Germany to 35 hours from 38 hours a week, in line with its west German factories, the automaker said on Friday. The move was welcomed by the automaker's works council for bringing long-awaited equality more than 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Salaries and working hours remain uneven between western and eastern Germany, with government data showing workers in the east continue to work more hours for less money than their western counterparts.
BMW committed on Friday to reducing the workweek at its plant in Leipzig, part of former Communist east Germany, in three stages to 35 hours by 2026, and bringing on 300 additional employees to make up the shortfall.
"More than 30 years after the fall of the wall, our BMW Group workers finally do not have to work three more hours than their colleagues in the west," works council head Manfred Schoch said.
Rival Volkswagen Group made a similar move in May, implementing a 35-hour workweek at its plants in the east to match the workweek at it factories in west Germany.
However, it did not hire additional workers, instead expecting east German plants to boost productivity.
