The leader of Verdi, Frank Werneke, dismissed suggestions of abolishing May 1st as a public holiday. Speaking to “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” he stated that the unions will no longer back down when it comes to social cuts or the erosion of workers’ rights.
He criticized the Union for attempting to dismantle May 1st as a legal public holiday, calling the move “not only outrageous-it is an alarm signal: In terms of social cuts and the deterioration of employees’ rights, we will not be intimidated by anything”.
Werneke characterized the current situation as “a barrage of attacks on the welfare state”. He added that they must demonstrate to the federal government that employees will not accept these changes quietly. According to the Verdi chief, “Without a strong and organized labor movement, nothing in this country is safe. This makes it even more important, in my view, for many people to take to the streets on this day”.