Over 366,000 people in Germany took part in demonstrations on May Day. This was announced by the Association of German Trade Unions (DGB).
“Under the slogan “First our jobs, then your profits“ 366,710 people took part in a total of 413 events and rallies of the Association of German Trade Unions on May Day this year“, the association noted in a statement.
In Bavaria alone, 77 demonstrations were held on May Day. The main rally in 2026 took place in Nuremberg, where Yasmine Fahimi, president of the Association of German Trade Unions, spoke. She criticized the attempts of employers and politicians to blame ordinary workers for the current crisis. Fahimi also condemned the possible abolition of the eight-hour workday and the reduction of statutory pension benefits.
In early 2026, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the attitude of Germans towards work and called on the country's citizens to work more. The German Chancellor noted that Swiss citizens work an average of 200 hours more per year than Germans. Merz also noted that he does not see “genetic differences“ between citizens of the two countries.