During the weekend the 38th meeting of the federal conference of the Christian Democratic Employees‘ Organization of Germany (Christlich-Demokratische Arbeitnehmerschaft – CDA) took place in the Zeche Zollverein in Essen. To this meeting, the social political wing of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands – CDU) also invited the Presidents of the three leading trade unions CGB, DBB and DGB.
In his greeting to the 400 participants of the CDA National Congress the CGB President Adalbert Ewen stood up to ensure that, particularly taken into account the venue the meeting Zeche Zollverein in Essen, despite the foreseeable end of mining in Germany and the transformation processes in various other industries and sectors of the economy, the trade unions and the CDA will engage themselves for the conservation and future viability of a strong German industry, with the industry-related service sectors.
Furthermore, Ewen demanded that all trade union currents should optimally be represented within the CDA. „The external perception will then be a better one, when the claim of the CDU, to want to remain a People’s Party is also reflected in the reality of perception of employee-interests whereby the diversity is considered as enrichment.“ With the most important trade union aim it must, in Ewens opinion, be possible for as many people as possible to have a more equitable participation in the social welfare and to take sustained action, to produce a higher degree of coverage of collective agreements.
The mentioning by the CGB and CGM President of the desired higher degree of coverage of collective agreements also aimed at a request to the CGB/CDA Federal Working Committee, to call for the relief of a universal application statement of collective agreements and which was adopted by a large majority.
Taken over by the federal conference were, on request of the CDA/CGB Federal Working Committee, the CGB demands for a tightening of the law and civil penalty provisions of the working time Act and to increase the commuter tax allowance, which reduces the worker’s taxable income for expenses for journeys between home and work.
Source: https://www.cgb.info/aktuell/stellungnahmen/leser/items/973.html
