DGB state chief Anja Weber has warned a tariff loyalty law for land and municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia. “The state government has to act now,” she said, according to the speech at a rally by the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) on May 1st in Siegburg. Weber was directly aimed at North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU), who was also on site. Weber demanded that public orders should only go to companies that pay according to the tariff. “Tariff bond must be recognizable for companies,” she said.
“You announced a tariff loyalty law for North Rhine -Westphalia almost exactly a year ago,” said Weber Wüst. “And we’re pretty impatient now – to put it friendly.” Especially at a time when many employees were worried about their future, everything has to be done to create “new perspectives for good work”.
The key to good working conditions is collective agreements. But fewer and fewer employees in NRW worked under the protection of one. “We need a tariff – now!” Said Weber. According to previous information from the DGB, only 51 percent of NRW workers work with a collective agreement.
Nationwide, the DGB in North Rhine -Westphalia had planned around 70 events on May 1, to which many people came. At the central event in Siegburg, Weber and Wüst spoke in front of around 1,500 participants, according to the organizers.
Other prominent politicians were expected in other cities – such as NRW Minister of Economics Mona Neubaur (Greens) in Gelsenkirchen, the managing Federal Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) in Hamm and Gregor Gysi (Die Linke) in Solingen.
