BLOCK AUTHORTTARIAN LEGISLATION
Cologne
For the first time since the end of World War II, the trade unions held firm in a conflict with the leaders of the German Socialist party [spp], winning at least a temporary victory.
The government sought passage of some vicious antilabor legislation. The measures would give the government the right to declare an "emergency" if it learned through "secret sources" that an attack was to be expected. The “emergency could be declared "even if no generally recognizable tension exists." Under the "emergency," the government could:
€ Set up a censorship.
@ Outlaw meetings.
e Draft workers, thus wiping out the right to strike.
¢ Arbitrarily imprison people.
® Compel either evacuation or forced residence.
@® Militarize the entire economy.
* Use the armed forces in domestic conflicts.
To pass the legislation, a two-thirds majority was required. This could not be obtained without support from the SPD. Although a congress of the German Federation of Unions strongly opposed the legislation, the SPD decided to vote for the legislation with some face-saving amendments,
The SPD leaders counted on the union bosses going along with their politics as they always have in the past. But as the vote neared in parliament, 250 eminent university professors petitioned the unions to oppose this reactionary legislation. ,
The chemical, metal, printing and public servants' unions responded by calling for an extraordinary meeting of the Trade Union Committee, the highest body between congresses. Several hundred trade~union secretaries signed petitions to the Executive Committee of the trade-union federation. Protest resolutions poured in, pro-= test meetings were held.” , ,
Advised by their brain trust that a conflict between militant unionists and the SPD could prove damaging in the forthcoming elections, the Social Democratic leaders became frightened. They view the elections as a major chance to win cabinet posts which they have
not held for more than thirty years, when they helped prepare the capitulation to Hitler...
In an about-face, the SPD declared that the proposed legislation is not sufficiently well known to the public or well-enough prepared for passage. While "in principle" still in favor of the legislation, the SPD now favors considering it more closely and there is not time for this before the elections.
The unions have a right to feel proud over their victory. But they had better keep their guard up against new maneuvers after the election in favor of measures that would help pave the way for another authoritarian government in Germany.
MUNICH