In Lower Saxony, thousands of people are again expected to demonstrate for better working conditions on May 1st. The focus of the Labor Day events is a central rally by the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) in Hanover (from 11 a.m.), to which DGB boss Yasmin Fahimi, Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) and VW works council boss Daniela Cavallo are expected.
Prime Minister Weil said in advance that he was convinced that lasting economic success can only be achieved with good working conditions and that the change processes in many industries can only be successfully designed together with employees and unions. “I have no understanding why more and more companies are avoiding collective bargaining,” said Weil. “In times of a shortage of skilled workers and enormous work intensification, this is short-sighted and harms us all.”
The Prime Minister continued that the May rallies have always sent “a clear signal for democracy, solidarity and justice”. “Our democracy is currently under more pressure than it has been for a long time. Right-wing radicals and right-wing extremists in particular threaten our free and peaceful coexistence.” That’s why we need “many democrats who stand up for our democracy.”
According to the police, a low to mid-four-digit number of participants has registered for the rally in Hanover. According to the trade union federation, it was not yet clear when we registered a year ago that this rally would be the DGB’s central nationwide event. The plan is for the participants to march to the location of the rally from 10 a.m. onwards.
The DGB is calling nationwide under the motto “More wages. More freetime. More security.” to 70 events. The state head of the Verdi union, Andrea Wemheuer, will speak in Hildesheim, the state head of the police union (GdP), Kevin Komolka, in Emden and the state head of the GEW education union, Stefan Störmer, in Norderney.
The chairman of the DGB district of Lower Saxony-Bremen-Saxony-Anhalt, Mehrdad Payandeh, said that all three goals of the unions – more wages, free time and safety – can best be achieved “with strong collective agreements”.
Last year, according to the DGB, around 10,000 people demonstrated in Hanover, around 8,000 in Braunschweig and around 4,500 in Wolfsburg, among others.