André Philipp KajewskiBusiness as usual oder Kurswechsel? – Über die Gewerkschaften in Großbritannien und Deutschland vor dem Hintergrund der ökonomischen und ökologischen Krise

About this book deutschenglish

In his book „Why still trade unions?“ Oskar Negt asks whether there is a crisis of the trade unions today. Facing today‘s challenges, Negt demands a reorientation of trade union policy. In this book entitled „Business as usual or a Change of course?“ on the trade unions in Great Britain and Germany against the background of the economic and ecological crisis , the author André Philipp Kajewski asks what such a reorientation might look like. It is a classic politico-scientific comparison between the British and German trade unions, especially between the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB). In the face of the global economic and financial market crisis that began in 2007, as well as a long-lasting yet urgent ecological crisis, the trade union‘s need for action seems to have increased. However, the fact remains that the trade unions of both countries currently still overstate the social question and neglect the ecological question. The aim of this book is to show that the social and ecological issues must be considered as equally important in order to achieve a modern trade union policy. In addition, the author emphasizes the need to renew the link with the social-democratic parties in both countries. A new Third Way could be a guideline at which the trade unions and the social-democratic milieu can orient themselves to implement a policy based on freedom, justice and ecology. The elaboration of modern concepts, which aim to reform modern capitalism (Joseph Stiglitz), to organize it in a more ecologic way (Ralf Fücks) or even to overcome modern capitalism (Heinz Dieterich), is another step in this work to create ideas for a new Third Way.