German Union Pushes for Worker Veto on Factory Conversions to Military Production
Published on 07/28/2026 at 02:01 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
WÜRZBURG, Germany — Around 300 delegates gathered in Würzburg on July 25-26, 2026, for the fourth trade union peace conference, a joint effort by IG Metall and the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung. The event produced a sweeping set of demands aimed at reshaping Germany’s industrial landscape, with worker involvement in military-to-civilian production shifts and a fundamental overhaul of co-determination rights taking center stage.
Proposed Law Would Give Employees a Say on Arms Manufacturing
A core demand emerging from the conference is an amendment to the Works Constitution Act (Betriebsverfassungsgesetz). The goal: ensure that workforces are actively included in decisions when companies consider switching their production lines to civilian goods. Conference participants pointed to the manufacturer Renk as a concrete case where such rules would have been relevant.
Cem Ince, representing the Left Party (Die Linke), called for introducing a veto and initiative right for employees. This right would kick in whenever a shift toward arms production is being discussed. Ince warned against forcing workers into a false choice between manufacturing weapons or facing unemployment. Norbert Zirnsak of IG Metall also criticized the current legal framework, raising concerns about what he described as war-preparation tendencies embedded in the Work Security Act (Arbeitssicherstellungsgesetz).
Economic Case Against Defense Spending
Beyond legal changes, the conference examined the economic consequences of prioritizing the defense sector. Bernd Riexinger of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung argued that arms production cannot offset job losses in other industries. Citing data from the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, he stated that public investments generate two to three times more value creation than spending on defense.
SPD politician Jan Dieren added a fiscal dimension to the debate. He noted that currently, one out of every ten euros in the federal budget goes toward interest payments. Projections suggest that share will double by 2030, further squeezing the government’s capacity for other investments.
Broader Visions for Societal Transformation
Experts at the conference also warned about structural changes to the state itself. Ingar Solty from the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung detected signs of a shift toward post-liberal capitalism and cautioned against an authoritarian restructuring of government institutions. Former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attended as a prominent guest speaker and voiced support for the conference’s objectives.
Labor market proposals complemented the defense-related demands. Anne Rieger introduced the idea of a 25-hour work week with full wage compensation. The conference made clear that, from the organizers’ perspective, successful peace policy is inseparable from strengthening worker rights and pursuing a targeted government investment strategy focused on civilian industries.
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