This is a list of trade unions in Germany, which play an important part of German labour law and European labour law.
Trade union federations The Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, established 1949, is the most important union organisation. After many mergers it only now consists of 8 trade unions. It mediates inter-union disputes and organises member unions so they do not impede on each other's membership. It follows the principle. In its substantive politics it is aligned mostly with the SPD. Members are not bound by DGB policies. The representation in the DGB is democratic, so in practice IG Metall and ver.di dominate the agenda and policy with the most members.
Individual unions There are 8 unions, following a long series of mergers, affiliated to the largest German trade union confederation, the Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund (DGB).
NameEst.MembersDescriptionConst.WebsiteIndustriegewerkschaft Metall19492,270,000IG Metall2012 igmetall.deVereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft 20012,040,000Ver.di2015verdi.deIG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie1997660,000IG BCE2013igbce.deIG Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt 1996281,000IG BAU had 720,000 members in 1996.2013igbau.deGewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft1948272,000GEW2016gew.deEisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft2010197,000Formerly known as Transnet.2016Gewerkschaft Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten1949205,000 (2010)NGG2014ngg.netGewerkschaft der Polizei1959175,000GdP2014 www.gdp.deDeutscher Gewerkschaftsbund19496,105,000 The DGB is the primary trade union federation for Germany.dgb.de
There are 39 trade unions under the Deutsche Beamte Bund (dbb).
NameEst.MembersDescriptionWebsite Deutsche Polizeigewerkschaft 1951 94.000Komba Gewerkschaft 1920 80.000komba.deGewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer 1867 34.000 Deutscher Beamtenbund und Tarifunion2012 Constitution 19181,275,000The dbb is the German Civil Service Federation.dbb.de
There are 14 unions affiliated to the Christlicher Gewerkschaftsbund.
There are a number of other, non-affiliated unions with a total of between 200,000 and 300,000 members.See H Dribusch and P Birke, Trade Unions in Germany: Organisation, Environment, Challenges (2012)
KabineKlar German Flight Attendants Union FAU Free Workers' Union is the primary anarcho-syndicalist union in Germany. (doctors' union)
See also List of trade unions in France List of trade unions in the United Kingdom List of trade unions in the United States List of unions Jugend- und Auszubildendenvertretung, a statutory young employees' organisation Works council
References