At the start of what is to be an electoral year in Germany, punctuated initially by regional elections in Saarland, Schleswig Holstein, and North Rhine-Westphalia, and later in September by the Federal legislative elections, the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) used its annual press conference on 16 January to call on the political parties to lead a completely new and resolute policy focused on reducing social inequality, in a bid to halt the growing success of populist parties and to preserve Europe’s future. The confederation also called on the ruling grand coalition to implement projects that promote gender equality. It also appealed to the political parties to defend Germany’s increasingly less pervasive system of co-determination that serves as a means of safeguarding social equity. In 2016, the eight members of the DGB once again saw membership numbers fall away standing currently at a little over six million.
Social justice is a key question for Europe’s future. According to the DGB leaders, 2017 has got off to a good start with the first increase in the landmark legal minimum wage since it was introduced in January 2015 to now sit at €8.84 per hour (c.f. article No. 10004). Retirement at age 63 for those with 45 years of contributions, better rights for interim workers… the DGB holds that Labor Minister, Andrea Nahles (SPD) has adopted a number of measures “that go in the right direction” but...
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