First negotiations with the management board in 1924
A very special anniversary was celebrated today, with a festive ceremony in the municipal hall in Forum Alte Werft, the former location of Meyer Werft: the Meyer Werft works council celebrated its 90th anniversary in the presence of the German Minister for Economic Affairs, the Vice-Chancellor and SPD chairman, Sigmar Gabriel.
On 10. 07.1924 the works council conducted its first negotiation with the former man-agement board of Meyer Werft. Back then, topics were discussed that are also topical today – the continual improvement of the occupational and health protection as well as the employees’ working conditions. With the Works Constitution Act of 1952 and the Co-Determination Act of 1976, important legal foundations for employee representation were established.
The chairman of the works council, Ibrahim Ergin, opened the event and welcomed the about 200 invited guests in addition to the numerous shipyard colleagues. “I am de-lighted that we can welcome so many guests on this auspicious occasion. This shows us how important the works council is. This motivates us for the future dedication of our colleagues,” says Ergin.
Keynote speaker, Sigmar Gabriel, acknowledged the work of the employee representa-tives: “In the course of more than nine decades the works council has advocated the interests of the employees. But also with the numerous debates regarding the produc-tion location at the River Ems, the works council of the shipyard was frequently right in the forefront when it came to defending the colleagues’ place of work. This is to be congratulated,” says Gabriel.
In his address, Bernard Meyer, managing director and owner of Meyer Werft, acknowl-edged the cooperation with the works council body. “Despite some internal confronta-tions and different viewpoints between the employers and the employees, we have al-ways worked together constructively. Particularly when the location was questioned by external sources, e.g. with the discussion regarding the River Ems deepening or, later on, with the flood barrier, we could rely on the works council,” says Bernard Meyer.
The representatives of IG Metall, Meinhard Geiken, regional director of IG Metall Küste and Thomas Gelder, chief authorised representative of IG Metall Leer-Papenburg, em-phasised the great significance of Meyer Werft for the German ship-building industry and praised the works council for its performance and ability to find new and construc-tive solutions in cooperation with the management board, also in difficult situations, such as during the public discussion revolving around the topic of service contracts.
Meinhard Geiken, regional director of IG Metall Küste: “The strength of co-determination is also demonstrated especially in challenging situations: In this regard, by working together, IG Metall, the works council and the management board were successful at improving the situation of the employees with a service contract. Here, the corresponding collective wage agreement serves as a role model.”
The works council chairmen of Meyer Werft
1924 Egbert Schulte
1925-1934 Alex Stürmann
1934-1944 Johann Lebang
1951-1952 Bernhard Appeldorn
1953-1957 Johann Dreyer
1957-1987 Hako Haken
1987-1998 Paul Bloem
1998-2005 Helmut Plöger
2006-2010 Erwin Siemens
2010-2015 Thomas Gelder
1 March 2015 Ibrahim Ergin