The General Workers' Union of Germany (; AAUD) was a factory organisation formed following the German Revolution of 1918–1919 in opposition to the traditional trade unions.
The AAUD was formed by the left communists in the Communist Workers' Party of Germany (KAPD) who considered organising based on trades as being an outmoded form of organisation and instead advocated organising workers based on factories, thus forming the AAUD. They were influenced by the industrial unionism of the Industrial Workers of the World. The council communists organised these factory organisations as the basis for region-wide workers' councils.Bernhard Reichenbach, The KAPD in Retrospect: An Interview with a Member of the Communist Workers Party of Germany
A section of the AAUD led by Otto Rühle split from the AAUD, forming the Allgemeine Arbeiter-Union – Einheitsorganisation.The German-Dutch Communist Left - Philippe Bourrinet
See also Council communism Cuno strikes Factory committee Left communism Works council
References
External links Program of the AAUD The Communist Left in Germany 1918-1921 The Origins of the Movement for Workers' Councils in Germany Theses on the Role of the Party in the Proletarian Revolution Theses On The Fight Of The Working Class Against Capitalism Letter on Workers Councils