At the national congress of the DGB, Germany's Trade Union Confederation, which took place from 13 to 17 May in Berlin, 400 delegates from the body’s eight member-unions spent time debating how the digitalisation of the economy has impacted employment. They called on the German government to put a stop to the exploitation of workers on digital platforms and to lay the foundations for a so-called ‘social state 4.0’. In particular, the national congress highlighted that the opinion of trade unions and that of Angela Merkel’s conservative party differ on three issues, seen as key by the unions: the strengthening of the collective agreement system; unions’ refusal to accept more relaxed rules on working time, demanded by employers in Germany; and the introduction of the right to temporary part-time work, which remains a controversial issue within the country’s grand coalition.
Better protection for workers on digital platforms. During the DGB conference, Reiner Hoffman was re-elected as president with 76.3% of votes, which represents a mixed result, given that he received 93% of the vote four years ago. In his view, the digital revolution that is unfolding brings with it risks as well as opportunities. “Monotonous activities being performed by machines is a splendid possibility,” he said.
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