German Salaried Employees' Union
Encyclopedia
The German Salaried Employees' Union, in German
Deutsche Angestellten-Gewerkschaft (DAG) was an independent trade union
based in Hamburg
. It did not belong to the German Confederation of Trade Unions
until it became part of ver.di
, the united trade union for the services industry, in 2001.
-Bad Cannstatt in April 1949 when the employees' associations in the three western zones of Germany joined together. The first employees' union associations were registered in the middle of the 19th century. In the Weimar Republic
, up to one hundred different employees' associations joined up to form three main employees' federations: the social democratic
AfA Federation (AfA-Bund), the liberal
Union of Employees (Gewerkschaftsbund der Angestellten) and the Nationalist Christian Grand Association of German Employees' Unions (Gesamtverband der deutschen Angestelltengewerkschaften). The DAG considered itself as a successor to the employees' federations which existed until they were broken up by the Nazis in 1933.
The DAG established itself as a career-oriented employees' union independent of any political party. It did not belong to the German Confederation of Trade Unions and was a leading independent political organisation which influenced the Bundestag
and the Cabinet of Germany
in the interests of its members. One effect it had in the 1950s was to restore choice to the individual as concerned social insurance
and to ensure that nearly all German employees had social insurance.
In the decades that followed, the DAG had a lasting effect on the wage system for employees and influenced their qualifications. It ran training centres, making it one of the largest providers of employee training in West Germany
. Its functions were strictly divided into official and voluntary ones following a decision at the national congress in 1957.
In 1999 the DAG had about 400,000 members not including associated federations. About one third were women.
In 2001 the DAG merged with four unions of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DPG, HBV, ÖTV, IG Medien) becoming the ver.di
, the united trade union for the services industry. At the time of the integration the union had about 2.9 million members.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Deutsche Angestellten-Gewerkschaft (DAG) was an independent trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
based in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. It did not belong to the German Confederation of Trade Unions
German Confederation of Trade Unions
The Confederation of German Trade Unions is an umbrella organisation for eight German trade unions, in total representing more than 7 million people . It was founded in Munich, 12 October 1949.The DGB coordinates joint demands and activities within the German trade union movement...
until it became part of ver.di
Ver.di
-External links:* * on the ver.di homepage...
, the united trade union for the services industry, in 2001.
History
The DAG was founded in StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
-Bad Cannstatt in April 1949 when the employees' associations in the three western zones of Germany joined together. The first employees' union associations were registered in the middle of the 19th century. In the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, up to one hundred different employees' associations joined up to form three main employees' federations: the social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
AfA Federation (AfA-Bund), the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Union of Employees (Gewerkschaftsbund der Angestellten) and the Nationalist Christian Grand Association of German Employees' Unions (Gesamtverband der deutschen Angestelltengewerkschaften). The DAG considered itself as a successor to the employees' federations which existed until they were broken up by the Nazis in 1933.
The DAG established itself as a career-oriented employees' union independent of any political party. It did not belong to the German Confederation of Trade Unions and was a leading independent political organisation which influenced the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
and the Cabinet of Germany
Cabinet of Germany
The Cabinet of Germany is the chief executive body of the Federal Republic of Germany. It consists of the Chancellor and the cabinet ministers. The fundamentals of the cabinet's organization are set down in articles 62 to 69 of the Basic Law.-Nomination:...
in the interests of its members. One effect it had in the 1950s was to restore choice to the individual as concerned social insurance
Social insurance
Social insurance is any government-sponsored program with the following four characteristics:* the benefits, eligibility requirements and other aspects of the program are defined by statute;...
and to ensure that nearly all German employees had social insurance.
In the decades that followed, the DAG had a lasting effect on the wage system for employees and influenced their qualifications. It ran training centres, making it one of the largest providers of employee training in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. Its functions were strictly divided into official and voluntary ones following a decision at the national congress in 1957.
In 1999 the DAG had about 400,000 members not including associated federations. About one third were women.
In 2001 the DAG merged with four unions of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DPG, HBV, ÖTV, IG Medien) becoming the ver.di
Ver.di
-External links:* * on the ver.di homepage...
, the united trade union for the services industry. At the time of the integration the union had about 2.9 million members.