What is the ChemieKreis (chemistry caucus)?

Since the middle of the 1970's, workers' representatives from mainly the chemical & pharmaceutical industries have been meeting on a national level in Germany in order to exchange experiences and information on shop-floor, union and socio-political issues. Our common platform was the criticism of our union’s (IGBCE) basic policies, e.g. the “non-confrontational” strategy on wages ("lautlose Tarifpolitik") - which sought not to provoke the employers with offensive demands and negotiations, the increasing concessions to employers and the national government, and the intolerable lack of democracy within the organisation.

General principles & aims

Since the beginnings of the ChemieKreis criticism of the trade union course has increased, especially with regard to the so-called " Standortpolitik " (policy of defence of national interests), i.e. a policy subordinating workers' rights under the dictate of international competitiveness in the interest of the German economy.

The result has been an enormous redistribution of wealth from the bottom upwards, as well as global pressure to undercut the labour and social standards of other working people in the context of the so-called globalisation. This attack on labour and social standards is done, in particular, at the expense of our trade union brothers and sisters in lesser developed countries. Basic union principles such as resistance to the attacks of management as well as international solidarity have been sacrificed in the name of “protection of our national interests”.

In compliance with the requirements of lean production and a lean state, competitive thinking is spreading throughout industry and the whole of society. It is leading to increasing social exclusion of more and more people in the form of unemployment and poverty. And all of this is taking place without very effective and strong resistance on the part of the trade unions. Furthermore, the state of the union’s inner organisational democracy has also deteriorated.

Basically, what unites all activists of the ChemieKreis is, above all, our belief that there is a fundamental contradiction between the interests of the employers and those of the workers, and that the trade unions should be, above all, independent, autonomous and strong representatives of all workers interests, whether employed or not. With our rejection of the politics of "Sozialpartnerschaft" (“social partnership”, i.e. corporatism) we stand in clear opposition to the present policy of the German trade unions, in particular of the IG BCE (Industrial Union of Mining, Chemicals and Energy) and the DAG (White-collar workers union).

Some of us activists were expelled from the IGBCE during the disputes over the policies of the union and shop-floor activities. We see ourselves as an active part of the labour movement and adhere to the principle of a strong trade union organisation. In our view, democracy goes beyond just voting every couple of years.

Since 1991 our brothers and sisters from East Germany, who in particular have been affected by the radical social changes in Germany, have been integrated into the IGBCE. In addition, we have close links with like-minded comrades in other industrial sectors.

 International co-operation and solidarity

Besides the experience and information exchange throughout Germany, the ChemieKreis maintains active contact with activists mainly from chemical companies and NGOs in other countries. In our view, this type of "rank-and-file” contacts should be actively embraced and promoted by trade unions. In actual fact, since the union leadership views such grass-roots level contacts with disapproval and distrust, we decided to take the initiative and develop our own network of contacts. We believe is necessary to create and maintain solidarity with other activists without political or bureaucratic control from above. In this regard, we also stand for a change in the present unfair international trade relations.

The perhaps innocuous name "ChemieKreis" expresses our principle that we neither intend to be a political party, nor a substitute union organisation. Nevertheless, we do not want to relinquish our goals of pursuing a collective and democratic debate and praxis. This is the purpose and function of the ChemieKreis.

The 'ChemieKreis' , 2004