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German Workers Get Time Off To Watch Soccer

Daimler, Porsche and other major manufacturers are planning to shorten shifts to allow workers to watch Germany play Turkey in the semifinals of the European soccer championships.

BERLIN (AP) -- Daimler AG, Porsche AG and other major German manufacturers are planning to shorten shifts to allow workers to watch Germany play Turkey in the Wednesday semifinals of the European soccer championships, according to a report.

Spokespeople from the two automakers and other companies told the top-selling Bild newspaper that late-shift workers would be allowed to leave in time to watch the 8:45 p.m. game in local time.

For the 1,000 workers at a Porsche plant in Zuffenhausen, the workday will end at 8:15 p.m., an hour earlier than usual, the newspaper reported.

Daimler spokeswoman Marina Raptis confirmed that the company's headquarters also approved shorter hours.

"We've given the general 'go' from Stuttgart," she said.

Werner Neugebauer, a senior official with the IG Metall union, urged all German manufacturers to follow suit.

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