There was a change in leadership at the 17th Ordinary Federal Congress of the CGB – Christian Trade Union Confederation of Germany (CGB), which took place in Berlin on December 1st and 2nd, 2023. In succession to Adalbert Ewen from Saarland, who did not run again for reasons of age, Reiner Jahns from Lower Saxony was elected Federal Chairman of the third largest trade union organization in Germany. Jahns was previously Federal Chairman of the Christian Metalworkers’ Union (CGM), the CGB’s largest individual union.
There were also changes in the election of the Deputy CGB Chairmen. In addition to the Chairman of the DHV professional union, Henning Röders from Schwerin, who was re-elected, the new CGM Chairman, Sebastian Scheder from Bavaria, and the Chairman of the employee association of German milk control and animal breeding employees (ADM), Sönke Clasen from Schleswig-Holstein, were also elected as Deputy Federal Chairmen. Helmut Ortmann (CGM) was confirmed in his position as Federal Treasurer with a large majority.
The new federal board is completed by a total of 9 committee members, namely: Günter Eickmeier (BIGD), Hans-Rudolf Folz (DHV), René Dietz (CGBCE), Matthias Rickel (DHV), Thomas Plemenik (CGM), Tatjana Roeder (CGM), Ralf Vüllings (GTL), Martina Zehner (GÖD) and Gerd Zimmermann (CGM).
The 80 congress delegates unanimously passed an initiative motion calling on the federal government and the German Parliament to respect the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court of November 15, 2023 (2 BvF 1/22), which declared the Second Supplementary Budget Act 2021 to be null and void. And not to be undermined by legislative measures, such as a renewed suspension or abolition of the debt brake enshrined in the Basic Law, or budgetary policy measures, such as the creation of new or re-use of existing special funds, as has already been demanded by some politicians and economists.
With only minor changes and with only 2 votes against, the key motion “Protecting freedom and democracy – preserving prosperity – shaping the future” was passed, which, among other things, calls for ending the reform backlog in Germany and modernizing the economy.
Numerous national and international political guests of honour took part in the CGB Congress, including Dr. Ottilie Paola Klein, CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, Committee for Labor and Social Affairs, Johann Saathoff, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland, and the Federal Election Commissioner for the social security elections, Peter Weiß. Special union guests of honor included Staff Sergeant Thomas Schwappacher, Deputy Federal Chairman of the German Federal Armed Forces Association (DBwV) and Romain Wolff, President of the Confédération Européenne des Syndicats Indépendants (CESI).
Other leading politicians and association representatives sent greetings to the CGB Congress, including Federal Transport Minister Dr. Volker Wissing (FDP) as well as several Prime Ministers, including the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), the Prime Minister of Thuringia Bodo Ramelow (Die Linke) and the Mayor of Bremen Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD).
The World Organization of Workers congratulates Reiner Jahns with his election as Federal Chairman of the CGB. And we hope for a continuous fruitful cooperation.
Source: https://www.cgb.info/aktuell/pressemitteilungen/leser/items/1338.html (original German)
