On 3 April 2004, about half a million people demonstrated in Berlin, Cologne and Stuttgart to protest against the 'red-Green' government's policy of social cutbacks and proposals made by the conservative and liberal opposition in parliament for further cuts in the social benefit system. The Confederation of German Trade Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB), a number of social organisations, the anti-globalisation Attac and church groups had called the rallies, which took place on the occasion of two 'European action days' (EU0404203N [1]) staged on 2 and 3 April 2004 by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in support of demands for a stronger social dimension to the European Union.[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/unions-stage-european-action-days
On 3 April 2004, around 500,000 people took part in demonstrations - called by the DGB trade union confederation, among other groups - to protest against the 'red-Green' German government's policy of social cutbacks, and against proposals made by the conservative and liberal opposition parties for further cuts in the social benefit system.
On 3 April 2004, about half a million people demonstrated in Berlin, Cologne and Stuttgart to protest against the 'red-Green' government's policy of social cutbacks and proposals made by the conservative and liberal opposition in parliament for further cuts in the social benefit system. The Confederation of German Trade Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB), a number of social organisations, the anti-globalisation Attac and church groups had called the rallies, which took place on the occasion of two 'European action days' (EU0404203N) staged on 2 and 3 April 2004 by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in support of demands for a stronger social dimension to the European Union.
Key speakers on behalf of the trade unions were Michael Sommer, the chair of DGB, in Berlin, Jürgen Peters of the German Metalworkers' Union (Industriegewerkschaft Metall, IG Metall) in Cologne and Frank Bsirske, chair of the United Services Union (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft, ver.di), in Stuttgart.
Criticism was focused on the government's 'Agenda 2010' (DE0303105F and DE0311101N), which involves major changes and cutbacks in the social security and the unemployment benefit system. The speakers also criticised the conservative and liberal opposition parties, which have called for further cuts. Trade unions are united in their opposition to the new 'unemployment benefit II' (equivalent to the social welfare benefit) scheme, whereby from 1 January 2005 recipients of this benefit will have to accept every 'legal job' offered to them regardless of pay levels, even if the wage is not based on, or related to, collectively agreed pay levels (DE0401205F). Trade unions fear that this will lead to 'wage dumping'.
The president of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (Bundesvereinigung der Arbeitgeberverbände, BDA), Dieter Hundt, attacked the trade unions for rallying against the government's policy. In a statement to the press, he said that the protests did not represent the real interests and needs of the country and called on all employees to stand up to what he called a trade union policy of blockade and refusal.
The leader of the governing Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, SPD). Franz Müntefering. insisted on the need for the government's social policy and added that alternative proposals from the trade unions were lacking. DGB rejected this claim and insisted that the trade unions had in fact made alternative propositions for reforming the social security system.
Eurofound suosittelee, että tähän julkaisuun viitataan seuraavalla tavalla.
Eurofound (2004), Major protests against government's social cutbacks, article.
