Klaus Zwickel

Klaus Zwickel (* 31 May 1939 in Heilbronn ) is a German trade union functionary and former chairman of the IG Metall .

education

Zwickel began an apprenticeship as a toolmaker in 1954 and worked for various companies in Heilbronn until 1965. He has been a member of IG Metall since 1954.

Trade unionists

In 1968 he became the first authorized representative of the IG Metall administration office in Neckarsulm . From 1984 he headed the Stuttgart administrative office , where he campaigned for the introduction of the 35-hour week . In 1986 he moved to the IG Metall headquarters in Frankfurt under Franz Steinkühler . Steinkühler intended to occupy Zwickel with the area of ​​IT systems and automation. However , when Hans Janßen withdrew, Zwickel took over responsibility for tariff policy. In 1989 he succeeded Karl-Heinz Janzen as second chairman of IG Metall.

After Steinkühler had to resign due to criticism of share deals in connection with a supervisory board mandate, Zwickel became chairman of IG Metall on October 2, 1993. His initiative for an “ alliance for work ” caused a sensation in 1995, but ultimately failed.

Mannesmann trial

Zwickel had been an employee representative on the Mannesmann AG Supervisory Board since 1991 . When Mannesmann was taken over by Vodafone , the Supervisory Board approved high severance payments to the departing management. Zwickel publicly described these severance payments as "indecently high and no longer understandable for any employee". He had abstained from the resolution on the severance payment, knowing that without his participation in the vote, the resolution would not have been passed. In connection with these severance payments, the public prosecutor's office investigated him for aiding and abetting embezzlement from 2001 onwards. In the so-called Mannesmann trial he was acquitted in July 2004; however, the Federal Court of Justice overturned the judgment in December 2005. On November 29, 2006, the proceedings against Zwickel were discontinued against payment of 60,000 euros. He is therefore not considered to have a criminal record.

resignation

After failed strikes to introduce the 35-hour week in the new federal states, Zwickel resigned from the union chairmanship on July 21, 2003. His resignation was an attempt to persuade Jürgen Peters not to run for first chairman at the trade union day.

Political activity

Zwickel has been a member of the SPD since 1959 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Heise Online
2. ^ Judgment of the Düsseldorf Regional Court, file number XIV 5/03

Web links

• Literature by and about Klaus Zwickel in the catalog of the German National Library
• Berliner Zeitung: Another comrade of the bosses
• Focus - At the end of the Mannesmann trial.