The German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) in Bavaria is calling for a “constitutional quarter of an hour” for companies and administrations. “People’s specific experiences at work also have a decisive influence on their democratic values and attitudes,” said Bavaria’s DGB boss Bernhard Stiedl on Friday at the association’s annual press conference. “Anyone who perceives their job as insecure and poorly paid, anyone who feels great worries and fears of decline, often expresses anti-democratic attitudes,” said Stiedl, justifying the demand.
It’s not about telling people what they can say. According to the DGB boss, the quarter of an hour should serve less as an appeal and more as a discussion and dispel prejudices. The demand is based on a project by the Bavarian state government, which announced a constitutional quarter of an hour for schools in its coalition agreement. He therefore expects the CSU and Free Voters to support the idea, said Stiedl: “If they demand that for schools, then they have to see it the same way for companies and administrations.”
Stiedl also spoke out in favor of more investments by the Free State. “Too little is invested when things are working and even less is invested when things are not working,” complained Stiedl. The debt brake prevents what is necessary in the crisis. Anyone who doesn’t invest now will shift the problem into the future and leave a broken infrastructure to future generations.
When it comes to membership numbers, the DGB has recorded a slight increase of around one percent in its member unions in the Free State across almost all sectors. According to the DGB, attracting new members is only difficult in the construction industry. In total, around 776,000 people were members of a DGB union in Bavaria at the end of 2023, around 8,000 more than in the previous year.