Unions affiliated to the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) recorded a 37% increase in new memberships in 2023. This new impetus for the movement can be explained by the need for security in a badly shaken economy, as well as the visibility of strikes and the results achieved in collective bargaining. This trend is likely to continue in 2024, in a labour market that is favourable to employees.
As far as the demographics of German trade unions are concerned, 2023 represents a vintage year. “It’s the highest level of recruitment we’ve seen since we were founded in 2001,” explains the Verdi services union, which saw 193,000 new members join in 2023. At the beginning of 2024, the DGB’s eight major unions (5.665 million members) welcomed 437,000 new members, representing a 37% increase in new memberships year on year. IG Metall, for its part, registered 130,000 new members (+10%),...
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Article authors
Thomas Schnee
Freelance