Association of German Employers' Associations

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The Association of German Employers' Associations ( VdA ) was an association of employers in the German Empire, primarily from the manufactured goods industry. It was founded in 1904 and dissolved in 1913 after the merger with the headquarters of the German employers' associations .

organization

The association was an amalgamation of already existing employer organizations, in particular from the processing industry and the finished goods industry. The organization was close to the Federation of Industrialists . The influence of the General Association of German Metal Industries dominated the club.

The primary goal was to protect against “unjustified claims” by workers. He also wanted to protect those willing to work during strikes. Strike compensation funds were collected for member companies and legal protection was offered.

In the year it was founded, eight associations with a total of 700,000 employees belonged to it. In 1912 there were 51 sub-organizations with a total of 1,279,000 employees.

Sociopolitical position

In contrast to the headquarters of German employers' associations, which was dominated by heavy industry, the VdA reacted less adamantly to employee demands. The structure of the member companies played a role in this. The number of skilled workers in them was significantly higher than in heavy industry. Skilled workers, however, were less easy to replace and better organized than the mass workers. At times he was even willing to negotiate with the unions as a collective bargaining partner. However, the VdA also rejected further social reforms.

Despite some contradictions, the VdA and the main office worked more and more closely together. Therefore both broke up in 1913 in favor of the Association of German Employers' Associations .

literature

  • Toni Pierenkemper: Trade and Industry in the 19th and 20th Centuries . Munich, 1994 ISBN 3-486-55016-0 , p. 87.
  • Wolfgang Schmierer: Association of German Employers' Associations . In: Gerhard Taddey (Hrsg.): Lexicon of German history . People, events, institutions. From the turn of the times to the end of the 2nd World War. 2nd, revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 1983, ISBN 3-520-80002-0 , p. 1271.