German Living

[Mack Technician]

I spent two days this week up in Bemidji with four guys from Liehberr Corp and Dealerships. We were doing software training at a Lumbermill. The trainer was explaining how in some European countries you need a permission slip from the government to work overtime and the reason we can't get parts in mid-summer is because of European "Holiday".

You ever read Socialist work laws? I'm picking Germany since Liehberr is German.

Working Times

Working hours are very flexible in Germany. Under German labor law employees are ALLOWED (HUH??)to work eight hours per day (48 hours per week). Saturday is considered to be a normal working day. With a five-day week, the permitted weekly working time totals 40 hours. Most business is conducted from Monday to Friday but retailers and manufacturing industries usually operate on Saturdays as well. Sundays, in contrast, are generally considered to be days off. An extension of the working time to a maximum of ten hours per day is possible under certain conditions.

Overtime has to be compensated for with additional time off. An overtime bonus is possible but it is not legally specified. Overtime bonuses have to be paid only when required by individual contracts or in applicable collective labor agreements.

The statutory amount of work breaks depends on the total number of hours worked per day. Employees are entitled to a break of 30 minutes when working between six and nine working hours per day. Employees are entitled to a 45 minute break where more than nine hours a day are worked. Breaks may be split up throughout the day, but divisions may not be shorter than 15 minutes. Statutory breaks of at least eleven hours exist between shifts.

Vacation and Public Holidays

Full-time employees (meaning employees working more than six months within one calendar year) working six days per week are entitled to a minimum of 24 paid vacation days (the equivalent of four weeks) per year. Accordingly, full-time employees working five days per week are entitled to a minimum of 20 days per year.

The employee is entitled to a pro-rated period of paid vacation when working for less than six months within one calendar year. During the typical six-month probationary period at the beginning of any new employment contract, employees are not normally entitled to take any vacation days.

The number of public holidays varies from one federal state to another, with a minimum nine public holidays to a maximum 13 holidays in some regions of Germany.

Maternity Leave

Employees should inform the employer of any pregnancy and the expected delivery date as early as possible.

A maternity protection period starts six weeks before the expected birth date and ends eight weeks after delivery. Pregnant employees are only allowed to work during this time if a doctor certifies that the work will not be harmful to the health of the mother and child. (In cases of premature or multiple births, the employee is not obliged to return to work for a period of up to twelve weeks after delivery - without having to provide proof of medical necessity for this extended absence.)

During the maternity protection period, pregnant employees are entitled to the average sum of their wages for the three months (or 13 weeks) period prior to the pregnancy paid by the employee’s public health insurance (or the state in the case of privately health insured employees) and the employer.

[storkmack]

Wow!

[fuzzy buzzard]

Went to Farm Science Review yesterday at London, OH. Lots of German tractors there, most expensive was little over 1/2 million bucks! My biggest compliant was if the thing broke down in the field on Friday afternoon, where you going to get any parts. Yep, I know we have US dealers but if they have to call Germany - GOOD LUCK.

I had to deal with Germany in my coal mining days and it was not a pleasant experience. Kinda like trying to convince a socialist democrat that he is a fool!!  

 

[Maxidyne]

That German tractor was probably a Fendt built by Agco, and was maybe even built in Jackson, Minnesota USA. Actually I've often had better luck getting parts for German cars and motorcycles than "American" ones, Ford often runs out of parts only a few years after their vehicles leave the assembly line and Harley has been known to discontinue parts for bikes that aren't even a decade old.

[41chevy]

Many parts for older Mercedes and some 2000, 2500 and 2800 series BMW's are 3 D printed in the OEM materials. Makes sense all that needed is the programs and printers to work on demand, no stock laying on shelves.

[Mack Technician]

22 hours ago, fuzzy buzzard said:

Went to Farm Science Review yesterday at London, OH. Lots of German tractors there, most expensive was little over 1/2 million bucks! My biggest compliant was if the thing broke down in the field on Friday afternoon, where you going to get any parts. Yep, I know we have US dealers but if they have to call Germany - GOOD LUCK.

I had to deal with Germany in my coal mining days and it was not a pleasant experience. Kinda like trying to convince a socialist democrat that he is a fool!!  

 

We’ve been in the hot seat plenty of times trying to get parts from Liehberr and Volvo. They both like to keep some big ticket items on the shelf in Europe. Last time we needed a Liehberr twin drive motor system one motor got stuck in Frankfurt’s customs and the other made it here only to get flagged in Memphis at customs. 

 

[Mack Technician]

The guys up at PotlatchDeltic told me a story about the Liehberr LH50 they bought a year back. When they inspected the stick boom early on they noticed cracks. To make sure it wasn’t just paint they scrapped it down to metal. They cleaned the paint off and found bondo. They cleaned the paint and bondo both off to find a smugglers hatch cut in a square window. The mechanic said they popped the very poorly speckled-spotted-wire-quilled-up welded hatch off and boom was emptied. Whatever someone sent over was gone. Liehberr has to give them a whole new stick. No one found out what was in it, no word spoke about it. That hollow boom is a big cavity to fill! 

[david wild]

Quite popular in the 70 and 80s, Ritchie never new how much dope went through the auctions.

[mowerman]

Very interesting thanks for sharing...bob


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