IG Metall assists in setting a works council at Volz in Horb

GERMANY: For many years the enterprise Volz, specialized in the production of air filters for the car industry had a good image in Horb, a small town in the region of Black Forest (Schwarzwald), Germany. The owners made contributions for the development of football in their city, supported a rabbit breeders' association and their enterprise was even awarded a prize as a model company within the state of Baden-Wurttemberg.  The other side of the story regarding workers was not as bright.

Quite often workers faced arbitrary short notice orders to transfer to another job or to change their shifts disregarding their private life and family situation; even single mothers could not avoid it.

Enough is enough, the workers tired of arbitrariness of their employer stood up for their dignity. They decided to set a works council at their enterprise. The first meetings were held in secret at a nearby bar that only confidants, acquaintances and relatives knew about. As a result in October last year leaflets announcing the election to the works council were distributed.

The first attempt was not successful and the employer for flimsy reasons contested the second election attempt in court and even made up an opposing list of candidates loyal to him. Despite constant checks, harassment and oppression at work and even at home on the part of the management, worker activists supported by the IG Metall representative Robert Schuh managed to convince their colleagues of the necessity of union members in the works council. As result two hundred employees of the Volz enterprise voted for eight IG Metall members out of eleven members of the works council.

In parallel with the workers struggle at Volz enterprise IG Metall referred to the IMF International Framework Agreement with Daimler, which also covers its suppliers' chain. Just before the election Daimler contacted its supplier Volz and alerted of possible labour violations at their enterprise.