Re: East German strikes escalating

["Johannes Schneider" <Johannes.Schneider@xxxxxxx>]

Michael Keaney wrote:


> Johannes writes:
>
> While such a campaign is nothing new during a strike, it remains to be
noted
> that the IG Metall had never been so isolated (even the PDS joined the
> attacks on the IG Metall).
>
>
> Could you give us some background to this?

As every institution in (re)unifiyed the IGM is dominated by Westerners, who
usually show little interest in what happens in the East.

Thus the demand for equal work conditions in the East was always raised, but
never really propagated within the whole organisation. The preperation of
the strike remained a special issue for the Easterners.

> Why is IG Metall so isolated?

- Because they failed to build up public support before the strike.
- SPD leadership pays back for the IGM opposition.

> What is the basis of the PDS's rejection of its actions?
>

The PDS social base is not the working class, but the former East German
state bureaucracy. Thus it looks at the state apparatus to bring social
reform, not at independent working class action for change.

Werdau PDS mayor Volkmar Dittrich even actively engaged as a strike breaker.
See:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W29514B05

He is quite typical for the PDS. Beeing a self-employed architect and
engineer, he now is mayor. On his webpage he lists as his primary aim to
make the town of Werdau 'more attractive for investors'.
see:
http://www.werdau.de/Mframe_3_Rathaus_Begruess.htm

Johannes