Craft: 'Lift Sunday baking ban for bakers' - German bakers demand end to Sunday restrictions amid reform delays
Germany’s skilled trades are urging the government to lift the 'Sunday baking ban' for bakers, arguing that current rules unfairly restrict their work. The call comes as frustration grows over delayed reforms, including the mandatory receipt rule for small businesses—another contentious issue still unresolved despite coalition pledges.
Under existing labour laws, bakeries can produce and deliver goods for just three hours on Sundays and public holidays. Jörg Dittrich, president of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH), has criticised this limitation as outdated. He pointed out that gas stations and convenience stores simply warm rolls, while bakers engage in full production—putting local small business owners at a disadvantage.
Dittrich also called for greater flexibility and trust in small business owners, arguing that stricter rules undermine entrepreneurial freedom. His criticism extends to the mandatory receipt rule, introduced in 2020 to combat tax fraud. Since then, all retailers with electronic cash registers must automatically issue receipts to every customer. The coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD had promised to abolish this mandatory invoicing obligation. Instead, it now proposes a cash-register requirement for small businesses earning over €100,000 annually, starting in 2027. Dittrich sees these delays as a sign of reform gridlock, with key changes still pending years after being agreed.
The debate highlights ongoing tensions between regulatory controls and the needs of small business owners. Bakers remain restricted by Sunday production limits, while broader reforms—like easing receipt rules—face further postponement. The government’s next steps will determine whether these long-promised changes finally take effect.
