1st of May
Unions on Labor Day: Left-wing scene also active
Participants demonstrate at a central May Day rally of the DGB in North Rhine-Westphalia. Many prominent politicians are again expected for Labor Day on May 1st. Photo: picture alliance / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The Russian attack on Ukraine changed a lot, even May Day. For the trade unions, however, this should not crowd out other issues.
This year’s Labor Day on Sunday is also marked by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences for Germany.
The chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), Reiner Hoffmann, has already called for greater participation by the rich in dealing with the burdens. Verdi boss Frank Werneke warned of an arms race in view of the announced billion-dollar rearmament program for Germany.
Werneke warns of an arms race
Germany must be able to defend itself, including its alliance obligations, Werneke explained in the pre-release manuscript of his speech in Mainz. The goal remains a world with fewer weapons. “We don’t want a new arms race at the expense of urgent investments in social affairs, in education and in protecting the climate.”
Chancellor Scholz had announced the rearmament of the Bundeswehr at the end of February as a consequence of the Russian attack on Ukraine. He is expected at the DGB rally in the North Rhine-Westphalian capital of Düsseldorf. A new state parliament will be elected in NRW in two weeks.
Despite the foreign and security policy overlap of May 1st, the DGB also wants to focus on the change in the world of work. The motto of the events this year is “GeMAInsam Shaping the Future”. “In these times of far-reaching changes, the trade unions stand for solidarity,” says the trade union appeal, referring to the enormous challenges of climate protection, digitization and globalization.
Employees need good qualifications for the challenges of the changing world of work. “We call for the renewal of the security promise for a solidary welfare state with good pensions and full citizen and long-term care insurance. We reject social cuts to counter-finance the current crises.”
Silberbach: Public service is a bond of social cohesion
The dbb civil servants’ union sees staff cuts and a lack of investment in the public sector as a threat to the functioning of free society. “Only an efficient public service that works the same and reliably for everyone is able to permanently secure democracy, freedom, peace and prosperity because it is the bond of social cohesion,” said dbb boss Ulrich Silberbach to the newspapers of the Funke Media group on the occasion of May Day.
In addition to the DBG events, there are numerous other events in Berlin and Hamburg in particular – from motorcycle or bicycle parades to corona protests and above all actions by the left and left-wing radical scene. In Berlin, the police are paying particular attention to the “Revolutionary May Day” demonstration in the Neukölln district. Up to 20,000 participants are expected.
In the past few decades, left-wing autonomists have erupted in violence. The police are on duty in the capital with 6,000 officers throughout the weekend.