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14 September, 1999The German metalworkers' union appears to be heading for a confrontation with German Chancellor and SPD Chairman Gerhard Schröder.
GERMANY: Judging from the September edition of IG Metall's news magazine, "Metall", which is the last issue before their Congress in Hamburg on October 3-9, the German metalworkers' union has taken a hard stand against Chancellor Schröder, the record of his government and the ruling red-green coalition.
The tone of this month's magazine is set from the beginning. The front cover, showing a portly, cigar-smoking Schröder, has the following caption: "Balance after a year of red-green ....", and then the German word "Verkohlt?", which is an allusion to former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, but also carrying the connotation in German of "Are we being taken for a ride?"
Numerous letters to the magazine´s editor are all sharply critical of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), of government policy, as well as of Schröder himself. In the editorial by IG Metall President Klaus Zwickel, he also is extremely critical of the government but suggests that it is not too late to change direction in order to fulfill election promises given to voters. A number of pages in the magazine are devoted to comments of IG Metall works council presidents from large metal firms who express their disapproval.
Foremost among reproaches of this government are that not enough is being done to combat high unemployment and that it has not changed the present law which forbids unemployment benefits for metalworkers indirectly affected by strikes of others. Complaints are being made that Schröder's austerity measures are putting too much of the burden of sacrifice on the working class.
If this edition of Metall reflects the thinking of the membership, and of the IG Metall Executive Board, the Hamburg Congress will see a serious confrontation between the union and Schröder and his SPD.
The tone of this month's magazine is set from the beginning. The front cover, showing a portly, cigar-smoking Schröder, has the following caption: "Balance after a year of red-green ....", and then the German word "Verkohlt?", which is an allusion to former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, but also carrying the connotation in German of "Are we being taken for a ride?"
Numerous letters to the magazine´s editor are all sharply critical of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), of government policy, as well as of Schröder himself. In the editorial by IG Metall President Klaus Zwickel, he also is extremely critical of the government but suggests that it is not too late to change direction in order to fulfill election promises given to voters. A number of pages in the magazine are devoted to comments of IG Metall works council presidents from large metal firms who express their disapproval.
Foremost among reproaches of this government are that not enough is being done to combat high unemployment and that it has not changed the present law which forbids unemployment benefits for metalworkers indirectly affected by strikes of others. Complaints are being made that Schröder's austerity measures are putting too much of the burden of sacrifice on the working class.
If this edition of Metall reflects the thinking of the membership, and of the IG Metall Executive Board, the Hamburg Congress will see a serious confrontation between the union and Schröder and his SPD.