Demonstrations on May 1st: Hessen called for fair wages and safe jobs!

Demonstrations on May 1st: Hessen called for fair wages and safe jobs!

On May 1, 2025, around 16,500 participants demonstrated in 38 rallies in Hesse, organized by the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB). According to the police, the central event in Hanau attracted around 300 people. Among the speakers were the DGB district chairman Michael Rudolph and the Hesse's Minister of Economic Affairs Kaweh Mansori (SPD), both of whom asked important topics of the employee representative. Demonstrators were looking for protection against the sun with umbrellas, towels and trade union newspapers while they arose for fair wages and working conditions.

In the largest city of Hesse, Frankfurt, around 5,000 people took part in the demonstration. Rudolph made it clear that he was against a softening of the eight-hour working day and demanded that the Working Hours Act as a protective law for the health of the employees must be preserved. The background to these demands is that the CDU, CSU and SPD plan a flexibility of the eight-hour day in the new coalition agreement to introduce a weekly framework for working hours.

claims and measures

Minister of Economics Mansoori underlined the need to create safe jobs and good working conditions in Hesse. He presented the new Hessenfonds to support companies financially and announced the free master's certificate in order to promote the equivalence of professional and academic degrees. The DGB also called for an action plan to strengthen the collective bargaining, a federal tariff loyalty law and a minimum wage that protects against poverty.

The statutory minimum wage, which is considered necessary by DGB Vice-Vice chief Fahimi, plays a central role in the demands. She sees no danger to jobs and points out that fears about workplace reduction after minimum laceration increases would never have been proven. A wage height that is not enough to live pollute the taxpayers and lead to wage subsidy of business models based on wage dumping.

historical context of the unions

unions that have arisen in response to poor working conditions since the 19th century play a central role in labor law and influence working conditions, wages and the rights of employees. The main tasks of the unions include collective bargaining, legal advice and the use for job security. Despite the challenges such as the allegation of bureaucracy and a decline in membership, their task remains significant.

This year the 1st May ratings are under the motto "Make yourself strong with us!" was carried out. Demonstrations not only took place in Hesse, but also in cities such as Magdeburg, Erfurt and Freiberg. The participants present called for a better range of jobs with more co -determination rights in the course of digitization and emphasized the need for a world of work that leads to a good life, shaped by diversity and cultural aspects.

With the ongoing efforts and yesterday's actions, the protesters illustrate that their concerns for the future of work are of crucial importance. It remains to be seen how the political decisions from the new coalition agreement will influence working conditions and wages in Germany.