In Cologne lives the middle-class Epp family, where one son, Jochen, works in a tool factory and shares close comradeship with his colleagues. While out to purchase alcohol for a family gathering, Jochen meets the beautiful Marion Andreas, who has an office advertising job, a love affair between them develops.

Grandmother Oma spends time searching for an apartment she can afford with her new boyfriend Gregor, a gentleman she has picked up in a park. When they run across a library space being abandoned by town authorities, Oma comes up with the idea of taking it over as a kindergarten for the neighbourhood children with no place to play except the street. She and Gregor become do-it-yourself squatters.

The closely knit comrades at the factory have hoped that, after some training, Franz would replace the recently deceased foreman. But their office manager prefers to bring in an outsider, which causes tension.

Prodded by a visit from Marion's strict mother, Jochen plans to marry Marion. Whereas tensions growing between Monika and the abusive Harald lead Monika to consider divorce.

With the news the factory is relocating, Jochen and Marion ask if they can switch apartments with Kathe and Wolf, to be closer to their respective jobs. And with this new inconvenience, the workers come up with a list of demands, including the seemingly impractical proposal that they arrange their own schedule rather than it being dictated by the bosses.