Christian trade unionists from all over Germany met in Wernigerode for their nationwide trade union congress. The aim of the national trade union conference was to determine the course of the CGM for the next four years.
From 20 to 21 October, over one hundred Christian trade unionists from all over Germany gathered in Wernigerode. In a pleasant atmosphere, the delegates democratically decided on the topics and direction of the CGM for the next four years. Their most important task was to elect the new national chairperson and the new main executive committee.
Welcome by the politicians
At the beginning, the Deputy Mayor of Wernigerode Immo Kramer welcomed the delegates to the beautiful Harz town. This was followed by Minister President Dr Haseloff, who greeted the assembly in a video message. In his message, he emphasized how important trade unions are for good working conditions and wages and praised CGM on its 125th anniversary in 2024.
Minister of Justice Franziska Weidinger from the state government in Magdeburg was present in person and gave a welcoming address. Minister Weidinger pointed out that trade unions are not only essential for wages, but also play an important role in the judiciary and legislation. In her speech, she also addressed current challenges in labour jurisdiction and what solutions the state of Saxony-Anhalt sees here.
Tobias Krull, Member of the Landtag and Olaf Meister, Member of the Landtag, were also present as members of parliament for the CDU and the Greens and welcomed the delegates in Saxony-Anhalt. The trade unionists had previously brought written greetings to Wernigerode from the Federal Chairman of the CDU, Friedrich Merz, as well as the Bavarian Minister President, Dr Markus Söder, and the CDA Federal Chairman, the North Rhine-Westphalian Labour Minister Laumann.
Making the economy crisis-proof
In terms of content, the Federal Trade Union Congress 2023 focused primarily on the question of how the economy can be made more crisis-proof and crisis-resistant. After all, in their trade union work for future-proof jobs and a more socially just society in Germany, CGM colleagues are confronted with problems such as the energy crisis and a shortage of skilled labour on a daily basis.
In the unanimously adopted motion, the delegates emphasized how these challenges can be overcome. Among other things, they spoke in favour of a return to the Christian view of humanity. This calls for helping people to help themselves as well as the basic idea of charity and should serve as the basis for economic activity.
Companies must show greater commitment to the interests of their employees and assume social responsibility. The goal must be a life-serving economy in which people are at the centre. Such an approach actively contributes to mitigating crises rather than escalating them.
New CGM Federal Executive Board
At the meeting, delegates from all over Germany also elected new leadership at the head of the CGM. Sebastian Scheder (Bavaria) will steer the fortunes of the union for the next four years as Federal Chairman. He will take on this task together with his deputies Tatjana Roeder (Saarland) and Christian Hertzog (Berlin).
Together with his deputies Scheder wants to make CGM more future-proof. To this end, he wants to expand the skilled trades sector as a second pillar alongside the metal and electrical industry and further strengthen the membership base. «I am aware of the great responsibility that now rests on us, but I also know that there are many committed colleagues in both full-time and honorary positions at CGM on whom we can rely unconditionally as we move forward,» Scheder concluded his speech.
In his inaugural speech, the newly appointed union leader Scheder was energetic and thanked the delegates for their unity and discipline. Overall, he rated the decisions and discussions as very positive. He said that Wernigerode sent out a signal of optimism for the union.
«The Federal Trade Union Congress 2023 was a powerful experience for our union. Now it’s time to take the signal of change that CGM received from Wernigerode further,» says Scheder, assessing the challenges ahead.
Source: https://cgm.de/news/cgm-bundesgewerkschaftstag-2023/ (original German)
