The United Union of German Railway Workers (german: Einheitsverband der Eisenbahner Deutschlands, EdED) 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 railway workers in Germany. The union was founded on 27 June 1925, when the

German Railway Union The German Railway Union (german: Deutsche Eisenbahner-Verband, DEV) was a trade union representing railway workers in Germany. The union was established in 1916, when the railway section of the German Transport Workers' Union merged with the Uni ...

merged with the National Union of German Railway Officials and Trainees. On formation, the union had 197,000 members, rising to 240,913 by the end of 1928, making it the largest union in the industry. It was led by Franz Scheffel, and published several journals, the most important of which was ''Der Deutsche Eisenbahner''. The union was affiliated to the

General German Trade Union Confederation The General German Trade Union Federation (german: Allgemeiner Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, ADGB) was a confederation of German trade unions in Germany founded during the Weimar Republic. It was founded in 1919 and was initially powerful enough to ...

(ADGB), and to the

International Transport Workers' Federation The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is a democratic global union federation of transport workers' trade unions, founded in 1896. In 2017 the ITF had 677 member organizations in 149 countries, representing a combined membership ...

(ITF). In March 1933, the union's journal was banned by the Nazi government. The leadership of the ADGB decided to distance itself from social democracy in an attempt to appease the Nazis, and Scheffel resigned as leader of the EdED in protest. He was replaced by Matthew Herrmann, but in May, the unions were banned. The EdED attempted to continue on an underground basis, led former board member

Hans Jahn Johannes Jahn (29 August 1885 – 10 July 1960) was a German trade unionist, politician and anti-Nazi activist. Jahn became a smelter, and then in 1909 began working for a trade union. By 1930, he was serving on the national executive of th ...

, and some organisation was maintained throughout World War II, in resistance to the Nazis. In 1948,

TRANSNET Transnet SOC Ltd is a large South African rail, port and pipeline company, headquartered in the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg. It was formed as a limited company on 1 April 1990. A majority of the company's stock is owned by the Department ...

was established, as a new union to represent railway workers.

Presidents

:1925: Franz Scheffel :1933: Matthäus Herrmann

References

{{Authority control Railway labor unions Trade unions established in 1925 Trade unions disestablished in 1933 Trade unions in Germany