Union ceremony in Sontra: 65 years of loyalty to IG Metall recognized

Union ceremony in Sontra: 65 years of loyalty to IG Metall recognized

The IG Metall in Northern Hesse recently celebrated an important honor to honor the loyalty of its members. A happy event took place in the Gonnermann inn in Berneburg, where numerous jubilees were awarded for their longstanding membership. The members who have been loyal to the union for up to 65 years have been particularly emphasized. For many of them, IG Metall is not only part of its professional, but also of its personal history.

In the solemn round, which was led by the new second representative Dennis Schindehütte, around 30 jubilees were gathered together with works councils and trustees from the districts of Werra-Meißner and Hersfeld-Rotenburg. Schindehütte held a moving speech that not only illuminated the success of IG Metall in recent decades, but also pointed out current challenges. Anja Neumann, the union secretary, warmly welcomed the present and created an inviting atmosphere for this special occasion.

The most loyal members in focus

Justus Hast received a special honor, who was the oldest jubilee of the evening at the age of 88. Connected to the history of IG Metall, he started his professional career in lignite and then worked for almost 40 years in the VW plant in Baunatal. The other jubilees also look back on moving working life. Helmut Heyer, also 85, worked as a sheet locksmith, while Karl Löffler and his family had a long way after they had fled from the former GDR.

The honor of these long -standing members is not only a celebration of individual engagement, but also a sign of the existence and strength of IG Metall, which currently has more than two million members. The evening illustrated the solidarity community, which has grown over the decades and whose members have campaigned for improvements in the world of work.

Review of overcome challenges

Dennis Schindehütte also made those present indulge in memories by reviewing important events of the past decades. In a humorous and thoughtful way, he spanned the bow from the early 1960s, when the Beatles and Rolling Stones conquered the music world, right down to the industrial struggles of the 1980s, which mobilized numerous workers in Germany. The memories of the strikes and demonstrations, which ultimately led to an improvement in working conditions and strengthened the rights of employees, were particularly impressive. However, it is worrying that, according to Schindehütte, only 51 percent of employees benefit from collective agreements today. He emphasized the need to fundamentally reform the framework conditions for collective agreements in order to protect the rights of employees and to secure a fair income. "We need collective agreements for good working conditions and good wages," he said, and appealed to the legislators to work for these indispensable changes.

The event in Berneburg was not only a celebration, but also an appeal to the social responsibility that IG Metall and its members bear. The long -term loyalty of the members shows how important trade union protection and representing the interests of employees are both in the past and in the present.