General Commission of German Trade Unions


The General Commission of German Trade Unions was an umbrella body for German trade unions during the German Empire, from the end of the Anti-Socialist Laws in 1890 up to 1919. In 1919, a successor organisation was named the Allgemeiner Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, and then in 1949, the current Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund was formed.

History

In January 1890, the Reichstag refused to extend the Anti-Socialist Laws which had prohibited socialist political parties and trade unions. Despite this, many of those trade unions which did exist, the Free Trade Unions, had come to work closely with the Social Democratic Party of Germany.
Large celebrations marked May Day in 1890. In Hamburg, employers locked out workers who took the day off. In response, the various unions representing metal and engineering workers called for a union conference, to look at the implications of this defeat. On 16 and 17 November, trade union leaders met in Berlin, and agreed to found the General Commission of German Trade Unions, under the leadership of Carl Legien.
The new organisation brought together unions representing a total of 290,000 members. It initially focused on activities which affiliates were unable or unwilling to undertake. On 1 January 1891, it launched a journal, Correspondenzblatt der Generalkommission, to promote membership recruitment and support. Initially, the new organisation struggled, and affiliated membership fell from 215,000 in 1892.
In March 1892, the commission called a congress in Halberstadt, at which a majority agreed to support the formation of national, centralised unions. While this approach was favoured by the existing central unions, and by smaller, craft unions, it was strongly opposed by local unions. These tended to be associated with the left-wing of the SPD, and argued unsuccessfully for the unions to play a major political role.
The commission promoted some standardisation among its members, encouraging them to set up insurance funds to cover strikes, travel, health, and death. It argued that unions must actively recruit women as members, although the process proved slow. It also argued for increases in membership fees, to strengthen the unions, and this led unions to take on more employees - numbers rising from 269 in 1900, to 2,867 in 1914. While it remained neutral on whether craft unions should merge to form industrial unions, there was a strong tendency towards mergers, with the number of affiliates falling from 70 in 1890, to 46 in 1914, even as overall affiliated membership increased rapidly. By 1904, affiliated membership had reached 1,100,000, and in 1914, it hit 2,500,000.
By the second half of the 1890s, Legien was arguing that the unions were no longer a recruitment school for the SPD, but were mass industrial organisations, of whom only a minority of members would become political activists. In 1905, the commission voted against the use of general strikes for political end, against the opposition of the SPD. While the party leadership sought to smooth over the difference in opinion, Rosa Luxemburg vocally opposed the lack of political activity among the trade unions, and even Karl Kautsky argued that there were limits to what trade unions could achieve without undertaking political activity. The commission maintained its position, writing "Contributions to the Appreciation of the Work of the German Trade Unions" in response.
The commission supported German involvement in World War I, arguing for a moratorium on political debate and industrial action. As the war continued, popular support for it fell, along with union membership. When the Independent Social Democratic Party split away from the SPD, in opposition to war loans, the commission remained loyal to the SPD, but began calling more clearly for political and social reforms. In December 1918, with the SPD in power, the commission participated in founding the Central Working Group for Industrial and Commercial Employers and Employees in Germany. The unions were legally recognised as the representatives of the workers, but were compelled to negotiate with employers through formal structures.
In November 1919, the commission held its tenth congress, and voted to reform as the General German Trade Union Federation.

Affiliates

The following unions were affiliated from 1904 onwards:
UnionShort nameFoundedLeftReasonMembership Membership
Central Union of Asphalters and Roof Felters of GermanyAsphalteure19041919Transferred to ADGBN/A
Central Union of Bakers and ConfectionersBäcker und Konditoren19071919Transferred to ADGBN/A28,978
Central Union of Brewery WorkersBrauereiarbeiter18841910Merged into Brewery & Mill Workers18,485N/A
Central Union of ButchersFleischer18931919Transferred to ADGB2,435
Central Union of Carpenters and Kindred Trades of GermanyZimmerer18831919Transferred to ADGB35,89162,069
Central Union of Civilian Musicians in GermanyZivil-Musiker19021919Merged into Musicians726
Central Union of Commercial EmployeesHandangestellten18971919Transferred to ADGB3,39823,967
Central Union of Confectionery and GingerbreadKonditoren18911907Merged into Bakers & Confectioners2,019N/A
Central Union of Construction WorkersBauhilfsarbeiter18911910Merged into Construction Workers33,245N/A
Central Union of GlassworkersGlasarbeiter18901919Transferred to ADGB5,881
Central Union of Glaziers and Related ProfessionalsGlaser18851919Transferred to ADGB3,666
Central Union of Machinists and StokersMaschinisten und Heizer18921919Transferred to ADGB8,09026,406
Central Union of MasonsMaurer18911910Merged into Construction Workers128,850N/A
Central Union of PlasterersStukkateur18921912Merged into Construction Workers5,575N/A
Central Union of PottersTöpfer18921919Transferred to ADGB10,24110,882
Central Union of RoofersDachdecker18891919Transferred to ADGB3,573
Central Union of Sailors of GermanySeeleute18981910Merged into Transport Workers3,189N/A
Central Union of Sculptors of GermanyBildhauer18811919Merged into Wood Workers4,590
Central Union of Ship Builders of GermanySchiffszimmerer18901919Transferred to ADGB2,495
Central Union of Shoemakers of GermanySchuhmacher18831919Transferred to ADGB25,26244,902
Central Union of Stonemasons of GermanySteinarbeiter18841919Transferred to ADGB10,01231,061
Factory Workers' Union of GermanyFabrikarbeiter18901919Transferred to ADGB49,181195,441
General German Gardeners' UnionGärtner18901919Transferred to ADGB3,144
German Agricultural Workers' UnionLandarbeiter19091919Transferred to ADGBN/A17,000
German Choral Singers' UnionChorsänger18841919Transferred to ADGBN/A
German Construction Workers' UnionBauarbeiter19111919Transferred to ADGBN/A326,631
German Furriers' UnionKürschner19021919Transferred to ADGB1,935
German Hat Workers' UnionHutmacher18711919Transferred to ADGB4,26911,562
German Leather Workers' UnionLederarbeiter18721919Transferred to ADGB5,47316,231
German Metal Workers' UnionMetallarbeiter18911919Transferred to ADGB176,221556,139
German Mill Workers' UnionMühlenarbeiter18891910Merged into Brewery & Mill Workers3,456N/A
German Musicians' UnionMusiker19191919Transferred to ADGBN/AN/A
German Painters' UnionMaler18851919Transferred to ADGB22,85947,511
German Railway UnionEisenbahner19161919Transferred to ADGBN/AN/A
German Railway Workers' UnionEisenbahner18971908Merged into Transport WorkersN/AN/A
German Shipyard Workers' UnionWerftarbeiter18963,730
German Textile Workers' UnionTextilarbeiter18911919Transferred to ADGB53,568141,484
German Tobacco Workers' UnionTabakarbeiter18721919Transferred to ADGB19,45634,191
German Transport Workers' UnionTransportarbeiter18971919Transferred to ADGB36,325229,785
German Umbrella Makers' UnionSchirmmacher19041910Merged into Wood WorkersN/AN/A
German Wood Workers' UnionHolzarbeiter18931919Transferred to ADGB97,105195,441
German Xylographers' UnionXylographen18741919Transferred to ADGB434
Music Engravers' Assistants' UnionNotenstecher18721919Transferred to ADGB326
Union of Alsace-Lorraine Book PrintersBuckdrucker 1882854
Union of BakersBäcker18851907Merged into Bakers & Confectioners9,068N/A
Union of BlacksmithsSchmeide18851912Merged into Metal Workers12,185N/A
Union of Book and Stone Printing Assistants of GermanyBuch- und Steinbruderei-Hilfsarbeiter18981919Transferred to ADGB4,08215,731
Union of Bookbinders and Paper Workers of GermanyBuchbinder18851919Transferred to ADGB15,20633,337
Union of Brewery and Mill WorkersBrauerei- und Mühlenarbeiter19101919Transferred to ADGBN/A51,537
Union of Cigar Sorters and Box Gluers of GermanyZigarrensortierer18851912Merged into Tobacco Workers1,471N/A
Union of Coopers, Cellar Managers, and Helpers in GermanyBöttcher18851919Transferred to ADGB6,200
Union of Coppersmiths of GermanyKupferschmide18861919Transferred to ADGB3,341
Union of Upholsterers of GermanyTapezierer18971919Transferred to ADGB5,37710,534
Union of Dockers of GermanyHafenarbeiter18911910Merged into Transport Workers14,054N/A
Union of Domestic Workers of GermanyHausangestellten19091919Transferred to ADGBN/A
Union of Engravers and ChiselersGraveure und Ciseleure18971907Merged into Metal Workers2,265N/A
Union of Flower, Feather and Leaf WorkersBlumenarbeiter19031913Merged into Factory Workers353N/A
Union of German Book PrintersBuchdrucker18661919Transferred to ADGB38,97668,682
Union of German Restaurant WorkersGastwirtsgehilfen18971919Transferred to ADGB2,83816,096
Union of GildersVergolder18901906Merged into Wood Workers1,710N/A
Union of Glove Makers of GermanyHandschuhmacher18691909Merged into Leather Workers2,988N/A
Union of Hairdressers and AssistantsFriseurgehilfen18891919Transferred to ADGB8682,500
Union of Insulation and Screed Layers of GermanyIsolierer19061911Merged into Construction WorkersN/AN/A
Union of Laundry and Tie WorkersWäschearbeiter19031907Merged into Garment Workers875N/A
Union of Lithographers and Lithographic PrintersLithographen und Steindrucker18911919Transferred to ADGB10,65816,688
Union of Miners of GermanyBergarbeiter18891919Transferred to ADGB75,364104,113
Union of Municipal and State WorkersGemeindebetriebearbeiter18961919Transferred to ADGB12,15652,996
Union of Office Employees of GermanyBureauangestellte18971919Transferred to ADGB5368,953
Union of Porcelain and Related Workers of GermanyPorzellanarbeiter18921919Transferred to ADGB8,05416,592
Union of Portfolio MakersPortfeuiller19011909Merged into Saddlers & Portfolio Makers2,502N/A
Union of SaddlersSattler18891909Merged into Saddlers & Portfolio Makers4,259N/A
Union of Saddlers and Portfolio MakersSattler und Portfeuiller19091919Transferred to ADGBN/A14,908
Union of Stone Setters, Pavers and Kindred TradesSteinsetzer18861919Transferred to ADGB5,93311,395
Union of Tailors and Dressmakers in GermanySchneider18881919Transferred to ADGB23,24249,978
Union of Warehouse WorkersLagerhalter18951913Merged into Commercial Assistants1,267N/A
Photographic AssistantsPhotographengehilfen18991908Merged into LithographersN/A