The Central Union of Sailors of Germany (german: Zentralverband seemännischer Arbeiter Deutschlands) was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

representing sailors and related workers in the German merchant navy. Albert Störmer, leader of the Hamburg sailors' union, called a conference of local sailors' unions in June 1897, which agreed to establish a national agitation committee. This launched the journal ''Der Seemann'' in November, and also held a national congress, which formed the Central Union of Sailors of Germany on 1 February 1898. The union affiliated to the

General Commission of German Trade Unions The General Commission of German Trade Unions (german: Generalkommission der Gewerkschaften Deutschlands) was an umbrella body for German trade unions during the German Empire, from the end of the Anti-Socialist Laws in 1890 up to 1919. In 1919, ...

and the International Transport Workers' Federation, and adopted ''Der Seemann'' as its journal. From 1900, the union was led by Paul Müller, who gradually moved the union to more centrist positions, achieving the introduction of health insurance for German sailors, while also arguing that black people should not be employed in the industry.{{cite web , title=Müller, Paul (1875-1925) , url=http://library.fes.de/fulltext/bibliothek/tit00205/00205h20.htm , website=Friedrich Ebert Stiftung , accessdate=24 June 2020 The union always worked closely with the Union of Dockers of Germany, and from the mid-1900s, it formed a loose association with other German transport workers' unions. It grew slowly, and by 1909 had 7,541 members. At the start of 1910, it merged into the

German Transport Workers' Union The German Transport Workers' Union (german: Deutsche Transportarbeiter-Verband, DTV) was a trade union representing transport workers in Germany. The union was founded in 1897 as the Association of Commercial, Transport and Communication Workers ...

Presidents

:1898: Albert Störmer :1900: Paul Müller

References

Seafarers' trade unions Trade unions established in 1898 Trade unions disestablished in 1910 Trade unions in Germany