Der gescheiterte Streik in der ostdeutschen Metallindustrie

Abstract

The attempt of the metal workers union to adjust the higher East German weekly working hours to the lower West German level of 35 h has failed, The mighty union first after World War II broke off a strike without any result, The unsuccessful strike reinforces the deep conflict between two factions, because the one, the so-called ,Traditionalists' pushed the strike, whereas the other, the ,Modernizers' warned to dare it. The struggle of both factions is about the right way how to rise to the challenges of liberalized market economy and globalization. It paralyzed the union for weeks and it can be supposed that the now reveiled weakness can hamper seriously the former power to define sector wide collective bargaining agreements.