Stand taken against German far right 


The DGB, the main German union confederation, has formally agreed a policy of non-cooperation with the far right. 


The position was adopted at the DGB’s four-yearly congress which took place in Berlin at the start of last month. In a resolution, the 400 delegates ruled out “cooperation with parties or organisations that represent racist or anti-democratic positions”. 


More specifically, they also agreed that the DGB would not invite officials and elected representatives of the far right AfD party to DGB events.


The AfD won 12.6% of the vote in the national German elections in 2017, with the unions’ own figures suggesting that 15% of trade union members voted for the party. 


Despite this, the unions have made it clear that they will not include the AfD in the discussions that they regularly have with other parties.


In his opening speech to the DGB congress, DGB president Rainer Hoffmann accused the AfD of using people’s, often justified, fears for the future for their own ends. The answer, he argued, was greater job security, effective public services and improved living conditions.