Personal story
When Hitler came to power in January 1933, he saw trade unions as a threat because he thought they were exercising more power over the workers than he could.
trade unions were seen as a challenge to be dispensed with. Hitler knew that he needed the workers to be on his side but he could not allow trade unions to exert the potential power they had. Trade unions were banned in Nazi Germany.
Just months after Hitler was appointed Chancellor, he took the decision to end trade unions in Nazi Germany. On May 2nd, 1933, police units occupied all trade unions headquarters and union leaders were arrested.
The funds that belonged to the trade unions – effectively this was workers money – were confiscated. Hitler had to be careful as he was only in power for a few months.
By Removing trade union leaders helped this but it did not fully guarantee that the working class would ‘behave’ itself.
The working class was now a ‘labour force’. The Nazi Party did all that it could to ensure the workers felt that they were better off under the guidance of the Nazi Party via the german labour front.
They had to be brought onto the side of the Nazis as Hitler had major plans for the workers. There were simply too many of them to brutalise into submission, so the workers were offered the ‘Strength Through Joy’ movement (Kraft durch Freude’) which offered them subsidised holidays, cheap theatre trips etc.
Hitler offered the working class a better leisure life in one hand and took away their traditional rights in the other.Strikes – the traditional way for the working class to express their anger.Strikes had been a thorn in the side of Weimar Germany in its final years. In 1928, the equivalent of 20,339,000 days had been lost as a result of strikes. In 1930, 4,029,000 days had been lost. In 1933, it was just 96,000 days and from 1934 to 1939 there were none. New laws had been brought in after the burning down of the Reichstag and one covered ‘un-German activities’ and strikes were classed as un-German. In January 1934, the Law Regulating National Labour (the ‘Charter of Labour’) banned strikes at statute level.
Trade unions had looked after the rights of the working class. The German Labour Front now did this. However, Hitler was still fearful of large group of unemployed men existing in the fledgling Nazi state. In January 1933, he inherited an unemployment rate of 26.3%. This had the potential for long-term trouble. Therefore, job creation schemes were introduced. An individual had no choice about a job placement as anyone labelled ‘work shy’ was sent to prison.
Those brought into the Labour Front to participate in job creation schemes were regimented almost as much as if they were in the military. A song sung by members of the German labour force
went as follows:
“We demand from ourselves service to the end, even when no eyes are upon us.
We know that we should love our Fatherland more than our own life.
We vow that no one shall outdo us in loyalty,
That our life shall be one great labour service for Germany.
So in this solemn hour we pray for blessing on the oath we take,
We thank thee, Fuhrer, that we have now seen thee,
Do thou behold us as thine own creation?
May our hearts ever beat with thy heart’s pulses, Our lives find inspiration in thy love,
Behold us here! Thy Germany are we.”
Their conditions of work and pay were controlled and determined by the German Labour Front and the German labour force represented the workers when disputes arose between management and workers. Between 1933 and 1939, the wages paid out to those in the GLF actually dropped a little. The cost of living rose during the same time by 25%. However, Hitler’s grip on the working class by 1939 was so great that they had no choice but to continue in this way.
Narrative
On May 2nd, 1933, the day after Labor day, Nazi groups occupied union halls and labor leaders were arrested. Trade Unions were outlawed by Adolf Hitler,
Trade unions supported workers and they were a place for workers to complain if they weren't happy with their pay. By banning the trade unions Hitler was in control and the workers had no one to complain to so they had to just keep on working despite the fact that they were not happy with pay or working conditions
Hitler wanted total control over each and every person, and he couldn’t do that if Unions existed.
Facts
When Hitler came to power in January 1933, he saw trade unions as a threat because he thought they were exercising more power over the workers than he could.
trade unions were seen as a challenge to be dispensed with. Hitler knew that he needed the workers to be on his side but he could not allow trade unions to exert the potential power they had. Trade unions were banned in Nazi Germany.
Just months after Hitler was appointed Chancellor, he took the decision to end trade unions in Nazi Germany. On May 2nd, 1933, police units occupied all trade unions headquarters and union leaders were arrested.
The funds that belonged to the trade unions – effectively this was workers money – were confiscated. Hitler had to be careful as he was only in power for a few months.
By Removing trade union leaders helped this but it did not fully guarantee that the working class would ‘behave’ itself.
The working class was now a ‘labour force’. The Nazi Party did all that it could to ensure the workers felt that they were better off under the guidance of the Nazi Party via the german labour front.
They had to be brought onto the side of the Nazis as Hitler had major plans for the workers. There were simply too many of them to brutalise into submission, so the workers were offered the ‘Strength Through Joy’ movement (Kraft durch Freude’) which offered them subsidised holidays, cheap theatre trips etc.
Hitler offered the working class a better leisure life in one hand and took away their traditional rights in the other.Strikes – the traditional way for the working class to express their anger.Strikes had been a thorn in the side of Weimar Germany in its final years. In 1928, the equivalent of 20,339,000 days had been lost as a result of strikes. In 1930, 4,029,000 days had been lost. In 1933, it was just 96,000 days and from 1934 to 1939 there were none. New laws had been brought in after the burning down of the Reichstag and one covered ‘un-German activities’ and strikes were classed as un-German. In January 1934, the Law Regulating National Labour (the ‘Charter of Labour’) banned strikes at statute level.
Trade unions had looked after the rights of the working class. The German Labour Front now did this. However, Hitler was still fearful of large group of unemployed men existing in the fledgling Nazi state. In January 1933, he inherited an unemployment rate of 26.3%. This had the potential for long-term trouble. Therefore, job creation schemes were introduced. An individual had no choice about a job placement as anyone labelled ‘work shy’ was sent to prison.
Those brought into the Labour Front to participate in job creation schemes were regimented almost as much as if they were in the military. A song sung by members of the German labour force
went as follows:
“We demand from ourselves service to the end, even when no eyes are upon us.
We know that we should love our Fatherland more than our own life.
We vow that no one shall outdo us in loyalty,
That our life shall be one great labour service for Germany.
So in this solemn hour we pray for blessing on the oath we take,
We thank thee, Fuhrer, that we have now seen thee,
Do thou behold us as thine own creation?
May our hearts ever beat with thy heart’s pulses, Our lives find inspiration in thy love,
Behold us here! Thy Germany are we.”
Their conditions of work and pay were controlled and determined by the German Labour Front and the German labour force represented the workers when disputes arose between management and workers. Between 1933 and 1939, the wages paid out to those in the GLF actually dropped a little. The cost of living rose during the same time by 25%. However, Hitler’s grip on the working class by 1939 was so great that they had no choice but to continue in this way.
Narrative
On May 2nd, 1933, the day after Labor day, Nazi groups occupied union halls and labor leaders were arrested. Trade Unions were outlawed by Adolf Hitler,
Trade unions supported workers and they were a place for workers to complain if they weren't happy with their pay. By banning the trade unions Hitler was in control and the workers had no one to complain to so they had to just keep on working despite the fact that they were not happy with pay or working conditions
Hitler wanted total control over each and every person, and he couldn’t do that if Unions existed.
Facts
- The Trade Union movement originated in Great Britain
- Due to the fact that workers were uneducated and illiterate, workers could not negotiate better terms of employment and they did not have the power to influence their employers.
- Workers realised that they have more power when they stand together.
- Workers formed trade unions to use their collective bargaining power for negotiation better working conditions
- Initially, trade unions were not recognised by the law and employers did not want to deal with trade unions.
- Millions of trade unionists died along with Jews,homosexuals, disabled, Romany gypsies, Serbians and Jehovah's witnesses.