Arbeitslosenselbsthilfe O l d e n b u r g
Kaiserstr. 19
D-26122 Oldenburg (Oldenburg)
European Marches against Unemployment - News and Archives
Empfaenger : /a/europäischer arbeitslosenmarsch Absender : aguiton@sud.unions.eu.org (Christophe) Org.-Empf. : marches97-info.eng@ras.eu.org Weiterleiter marches97-info.eng-request@ras.eu.org Betreff : Euronews 3 / Germany Datum : Mi 04.03.98, 08:03 (erhalten: 04.03.98) Groesse : 6766 Bytes ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ## Nachricht am 04.03.98 archiviert ## Ursprung: /also@also.ol.ni.schule.de
marches97-info.eng ------------------
Our German correspondant sent us the following article, written in French on the same day as the demonstration of movement of the unemployed, Thursday, February 5.
50 000 people, for the most part unemployed, protested in 200 towns and cities in Germany on February 5, 1998 on the publication day of the new official figures for unemployment. These statistics showed that more than 4,8% million Germans are unemployed. This represents 12,6% of the population. In east Germany, unemployment has rapidly increased; it is now over 20% while in the west, unemployment remains stagnant in spite of a positive economic outlook (2% growth forcast for1998). In terms of percentages, unemployment is double that of post war unemployment figures. But even in absolute terms, it is clear that current unemployment figures beats all established records since 1947. True unemployemnt figures are estimated at about 7 million unemployed and those in precaire employment.
The first national demonstration of the unemployed This demonstration called by the Coordination Office of Trade Unions Initiatives of the Unemployed - which also supports the European Marches against unemployment - was the first national demonstration of the unemployed since the beginning of the 1980s. As such, its represents an important step in the growth of political awareness by the unemployed and in their capacity to express their strength through their demands by putting pressure on offical political bodies - governments, political parties as well as trade unions. Actions taken have been for the most part "conventional", only in a handful of towns have the German equivalent to French ASSEDICs been occupied. In the majority of town and cities, the day of action consisted of demonstrations and meetings, sometimes in front of ASSEDICs, as well, in front of the CDU offices (Christian Demoncrates in the Bonn govenment), supported by local unemployed groups and trade unionists.
Eastern Germany The Coordination Office is not an organisation, but an ad hoc committee (there is no national organisation of the unemployed in Germany). The planning of the day of action depended solely on local forces available, and in a wide variety of places. Those actions well attended took place for the most part in the East : 5000 in Berlin, 5000 in Erfurt (Thuringe capital), 100 people at Gera and at Gotha, two other towns in Thuringe, 1000 at Chemnitz, (Saxe); and also 1000 at Stade (on the North Sea), 3000 at Hambourg.
An important political impact In spite of structural difficulties arising from problems due to the creation of the unemployed movement, the day of action of February 5, not only attacted nation-wide media coverage, but also had a tremendous political impact. In fact, the Bonn coalition government, in the period preceeding the day of action, was obliged to react and make a statement to the effect that "action against unemployment" is planned in accordance with the Luxembourg Agreement of November 1997 : meaning, pay less in unemployment benefits and welfare benefits so as to force more of the jobless to accept work regardless of the level of wages offered. Like the way local authorities have been given responsibility for "putting to work, 200 000 jobless over the next two years if the government liberalises the current job market structure (controlled by similar ASSEDICs type centres and jobs offers published by the press) which will also enable private employment agencies carry out this fonction.
A scheme that costs next to nothing For those school-leavers unable to find work, there should be some sort of temporary measures to help their insertion in the world of work. But it was not clear who would finance such a project. Unemployment funding is to be abolished and the funds used for welfare aid (which at the moment guarantees a minimum level, but the level will no longer be guaranteed). Discussions on the project sharpened tensions between the Christian Democrates and as well as their coalition partners, the liberal party and the CDU itself. The "social tendency" wing of Heiner Geissler, which represents the 1980s "modern liberal economic tendency" opted for a job creation scheme that would have costed the government between 4000 and 5000 million marks. The scheme was half-heartedly supported by the labour minister, Norbet Blum, who consequently bore the brunt of a violent tirade by Wolfgang Schaube, leader of the parliamentary fraction of the CDU.
Evidently, the German government wants a job creation scheme to combat unemployment that cost nothing. Trade unions and the social democrates expressed strong reactions to this "initiative." If actions continue through out the year, it is more than likely that unemployment will become a major controversal issue during the pre-election period. At the same time, many directors of the ASSEDICs expressed their fears in view of the unemployed's actions, even if some of them opened their doors. They also had to admit to ever increasing pression and chicaneries practised on the unemployed.
We will be even more numberous The general feeling is that we were not sufficiently numberous on the streets on February 5. There are many more unemployed we need to mobilise. The first demonstration gave heart to the movement and for the next action on March 5, we will be even more numberous. The Coordination Office plans to continue their actions every month on the publication day of unemployment figures, right up to the electoral period. It is vital to use the time to resolve the problems of a fragmented unemployment structure and build up a new network of intiatives against unemployment. The objectives are political actions and the infrastructure necessary.
Angela Klein (e-mail : 101337.2067@compuserve.com)
Contact:
"Marches europeennes contre le chomage, la precarite et les
exclusions"
104, rue des Couronnes
F-75020 Paris France
Tel : +33 1 44 62 63 44
Fax : +33 1 44 62 63 45
E-mail : marches97@ras.eu.org
URL: http://www.mygale.org/02/ras/marches/
Contact: "AC!", France, Voice/Fax: +33-1-43495037, e-mail:
aguiton@sud.unions.eu.org.
Last Modified: April 15, 1998