History of strikes and why they bring progress

The next warning strike is coming up: this Friday and Saturday, buses and trains in almost all federal states will come to a standstill. What is a measure to increase pressure in the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations for the ver.di union is a source of frustration for many working people.

A look back at history shows that strikes often caused frustration, but they also shaped the foundations of many labor rights as we know them today. For example, it is thanks to metalworkers in Schleswig-Holstein who, with their 114-day strike in 1956/57, fought for continued pay in the event of illness. The fact that workers can stay in bed when they are ill, that workers are treated equally to employees, and that vacation pay has been introduced has therefore only been a reality for a few generations.

The situation is similar with the five-day week: starting with the slogan “Saturdays dad belongs to me” a reduction in weekly working hours was gradually implemented over decades. Although not over decades, but over a period of two years, there are findings from an initial German pilot project on the four-day week. The results show that 74% of the companies involved report increased innovation and creativity, but the truth is that just under a third of the companies abandoned the project early on.

We were also interested in the following topics:

• AI Fluency: A joint report by Google and Ipsos examines the prevalence of AI expertise (“AI Fluency”). According to the data, only 5% of employees currently have these skills, which are increasingly becoming a competitive advantage in the labor market. It shows that AI-savvy employees are 3.7 times more likely to be promoted and 2.4 times more likely to receive a pay raise.

• Crisis in German industry: According to an analysis by consulting firm EY, German industry will have cut around 124,000 jobs by 2025, representing a decline of 2.3%. The automotive sector is particularly affected, with a loss of 50,000 jobs, while the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors remain stable.

• Global labor market: Despite massive general strikes, Argentina's Chamber of Deputies has passed a controversial labor market reform. The package provides for working hours of up to twelve hours, relaxed protection against dismissal, and restrictions on the right to strike. While the government is counting on investment through deregulation, critics warn of a massive weakening of workers' rights.

This text first appeared as an editorial in the weekly politjobs newsletter. If you would like to receive this newsletter with the latest jobs in politics directly by email every Wednesday, you can subscribe to it here.