Rally and Demonstration in Essen on September 26
The government is on the offensive—on all fronts at once.
The new “reform package” means: We’ll work longer for a smaller pension. Fixed-term contracts could last up to four years, and workdays could be as long as 13 hours—precariousness as policy. If you get sick, you’ll have to see a doctor from day one, and you’ll have to pay more out of pocket for medication. Hospital and long-term care budgets are being slashed, and collective bargaining agreements in elder care are being undermined—fewer staff, more pressure. Those who earn too little will also lose their housing allowance.
But what are the consequences, and what’s the point of all this?
German companies are falling behind internationally. To compensate for this and secure profits for shareholders, we’re supposed to pay. We—the ones keeping the show running—are supposed to work more for less money with fewer safeguards. In addition, economic interests abroad are to be enforced by the Bundeswehr in the future. Preparations for war do not serve our security but rather the control of trade routes, raw materials, markets, etc.
The money saved here goes directly toward tanks and bombs. But those in power don’t care about what truly threatens our very existence—climate change. This past summer, 16,300 people in Germany weren’t killed by Putin, but right before our eyes, in our hospitals, by a heat wave. But instead of installing air conditioning in intensive care units or taking measures to prevent wildfires, the government insists on pouring nearly a third of government spending into military buildup. All to safeguard the system and the profits of the richest!
This reform package is nothing less than class warfare from above. We must face the truth: The so-called social partnership has failed spectacularly. The notion that “when the economy is doing well, everyone is doing well” is a lie.
Resistance is necessary!
The German Trade Union Federation is calling for nationwide actions on September 26 against social cuts and is organizing free bus transportation for everyone who wants to join. In North Rhine-Westphalia, there will be a central rally in Essen.
Join us on the streets of Essen! In addition to the rally, we’ll march through downtown Essen in a militant demonstration.
Sign up here for free transportation:
https://nrw.dgb.de/mitmachen/aktionstag-sozialstaat
Want to help prepare for the demonstration? Come on by! 22.09. at 7 p.m. at the Linkes Zentrum Bonn
After the demonstration, we have to keep going! But how? That’s what we want to discuss on 28.09. at 7 p.m. at the Linkes Zentrum Bonn.