European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 14, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday August 14, 1978 living the stars and stripes Page 19 Germany Blue Collar Bonanza w by Alexander g. Higgins associated Presith a minimum of strikes and class struggle rhetoric. West German lab Runions have made their members Amon the Best paid and provided for in the  think first then strike not As in Lily. France or Britain where they strike first then think a spokesman for the German federation of unions recently commented to the associated press. The spokesman who asked that his name not be used said West German unions use the strike Only As the last resort and Only with the approval of More than 75 Percento the membership. Be reason for a minimum of strikes is the West Man system of labor and social Laws passed with m backing which provides for Job Protection fringe a befits and a worker voice in management. American unions have to negotiate what is Cov ered under labor Law Here said a German employed by an american organization in Dusseldorf. Unlike countries such As France and Italy communist Luence in West Germany s labor movement is neg Ligi t there is no evidence of significant communist infill ration among Blue Collar  one observer said. But communists while a minority remain a prob a in local teacher and other White Collar unions on town. Hamburg and Berlin said a Diplomat. According to the International labor organization at Germany lost 412.000 Man Days to labor strife in a while Japan and Britain each lost 3.3 million. Unce s million. Italy 25.4 million and the United states million. A Well organized smooth running West German w movement is the result of a reorganization after Wdward ii after having been banned by Adolf Hitler us. Woes in toe Federal Republic were organized to a War according to two principles 0oe Plant one Union while in other countries there my be several unions in one Plant any one of which can Stop production with a strike. A Vional Industry wide contract negotiations also important is a 1952 Law requiring that every enter american unions Hove to prise with at least five employees have a Plant Council to represent Union and nonunion workers and Rule on Day to Day personnel matters including firing. No worker is forced to join a Union through a closed shop system. While members of the Plant Council frequently Are Union members the Council is Independent and cannot take militant action. The benefits provided the German worker Are considered better than those going to his american counterpart partly because of a Long history of social legislation going Back to the 19th Century. Eighty five percent of the country s employees have at least four weeks vacation a year and Many older employees have six weeks or  requires a minimum of six weeks annual sick leave at full pay. Mandatory health insurance pays Virtu ally All medical and pharmacy Bills including doctor prescribed cures in Well known health resorts for everything from kidney ailments to rheumatism. All workers have Job Security if a Plant Council finds cause to fire a salaried employee he must be Given notice of three to six months depending on seniority in direct wages. West German workers at an hourly average of $5.33 still Trail their l a counterparts at $5.78. Hut with fringe benefits Worth another 64 percent forthe germans against Only 30 percent for the americans the picture reverses an average total wages and Bene fits of �8.74 for the germans to s7.51 for the americans. Many of the Job benefits Are a result of lobbying by the Tabor unions in parliament. Employers see the High number of Union members in parliament As a sign of How labor controls lawmakers. 62.9 percent of the members of parliament including Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and All the social democratic members of his Cabinet belong to a Union. Schmidt and most of the other social democrats Are members of the Public service and transportation worker onion. But the membership is often nominal usually Stem Ming from Days when the lawmakers held other Job Sand party discipline is so strict that members on Parlia ment mostly vote As party leaders Tell them not Accord ing to Union Headquarters orders. Industrial leaders concede that West German Union shave been moderate but they fear creeping Union Lake Over eventually will give Union Headquarters control of business through Union owned Banks construction companies and insurance firms which As cooperatives offering advantages to the consumer receive favourable tax treatment. With total assets nearing 50 billion Marks $25 billion. He group belongs to the Circle of the mos important business enterprises in West  the Union holding group described itself in a recent report. Through co determination Laws which since 1951 have Given workers an equal say in How Coal and steel Indus tries Are run and since 1976 a car equal say in other major corporations. Labor and business leaders often Are brought together by government officials for consultations which Are said to have contributed to labor peace before the recent Western nations economic Summit conference in Bonn. Schmidt invited Union and business leaders to a discussion of the issues to be considered by the Summit leaders. Government spokesman Armin Grinewald said it waste first time the Host of such a Summit had consulted in this Way with labor and management but this is a German  West germans have backed off promoting themselves As Model  but labor chief Ilcin Oskar Vetter says. If you see something we do that you like adopt it " negotiate what is covered labor Law Here said German employed by an organization Germany s labor unions have made their members among the world s highest paid