Colleagues, comrades,

1.

We thank you for the invitation! Especially in times like this, workers need to connect internationally and take action in solidarity, we thank PAME for this opportunity!

We are trade unionists from Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.

We are both members of IG-Metall, the largest single trade union in the world.

We also work in the umbrella organization of German trade unions, de DGB.

2.

This organization and its structures are strongly influenced by the lessons of German fascism. In concrete terms, this means that we are organized in one unified union, according tot he principle one industry, one union. Regardless of political orientation.

The unions are in turn organized in a common umbrella organization, the DGB.

The practice of the DGB consists primarily of rough political directives and impulses, the direct work in and with the workers is done by the unions themselves.

These lessons from the period of German fascism, these lessons from the damage that German fascism inflicted on the movement and the organizations of our class are necessary. Nevertheless, this  structurization of the unions brings difficulties.

3.

The main staff and functional apparatus of the trade unions and above all the leadership of the trade unions is firmly in the hands of social democracy. This is comparable to the conditions in an openly social-democratic union.

Communists and leftists regularly experience repression from the social democratic leadership.

The practice of the unions, shaped by the hegemony of social democracy, runs directly counter to the interests of the members and our class in general.

Instead of fighting for higher wages, the social democrats rely on their often praised partnership with the capitalist.

In the pandemic years, zero wage increases were agreed upon again and again.

There was a Bosch branch in our region with 300 employees that was to be closed, 90% of the workforce was organized in our union and called on it to wage the struggle aggressively and go on strike.

Responsible officials actively prevented this. German labor law has effiently disempowered works councils, and only the union apparatus can call for a strike.

4.

We are actively working against this paternalism and obstruction of our class by social democracy.

Communists and parts of the workers of the Bosch Branch marched to the house of the local manager. At an event of the Social Democratic leadership of our Union, to mark the arrival of the new government, we organized a class-conscious section under the slogan “Don’t trust this government – build on your own strength”. We must not ask the government for help. Only our class itself can assert its interests in the struggle against capital.

We joined the struggle of a left Workers group in the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart, in preventing the reduction of 4000 jobs while the union stopped all direct actions on the streets because of the pandemic. During working hours, the workers occupied a parking garage near the factoryand held a rally there.

This action was organized and supported by the local unionists in the factory, and the union leadership was informed about it shortly before the action started. In fact, this was a wildcat strike without the consent of the union leadership.

The hegemony of Social Democracy in the main union apparatus can only be broken from the workplaces with such offensive actions. And by making the class antagonism tangible day by day in the workplace.

5.

The attacks of capital continue, the rate of inflation is rising enormously and corporations are raising prices for rent, food and fuel.

With the class-conscious parts of the unions , we respond to this with actions and joint organizing without the knowledge of the leadership of the unions.

We created pressure on trade union leadership and enforced a rally against the rising inflation with unionists from different industries.

The speakers called for a militant struggle for pay raises in the face of the worsening and overlapping of crises and formulated a socialist perspective instead of sinking into the chaos of the market.

The demonstration on first of May 1, officaly organized by the leadership of the DGB, is now in the hands of the class-conscious parts of the union.

This gives us hope, and we continue a common exchange about our class response to inflation and price increases, and we will push forward with joint organizing.

6.

Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, Germany rushes to militarization. The government is pouring tens of billions into the army and armaments in a very short time and without debate.

But it is not only the bourgeoisie that is driving the rearmament. So called Leftists and trade unionists are also abandoning positions that have been the basis of progressive politics for years: fighting imperialist wars and militarization. They allow themselves to be drawn to the side of the Western imperialists in the struggle of the reactionary power blocs, instead of saying: this is not our war, the working class can only lose here.

The struggle for pay raises in the chemical industry has been suspended by the union until October. The Ukraine war, high energy prices and rising inflation are cited as reasons for this action.

For us workers, this will lead to a situation in which we have to keep quiet and accept that in real terms we will get less and less from our wages. This leads to the disarmament of our class. While our class opponent enriches himself!

7.

We thank you for your attention, but much more we thank you for the possibility of cooperation!

Connecting class-conscious unionists is now more important than ever.

To back down now because of an “external enemy” only helps the capitalists. Inflation is not a force of nature, but the result of the anarchy of the market economy. We cannot face its consequences together with our exploiters – we have to fight for a solution for our class by ourselves. This also means to stand up inside the trade union for real wage demands and for our own militant enforcement of them.

In these struggles we create class consciousness and we have to develop this consciousness and organize ourselves.

For the interests of our class, for the historical role of our class.