The Free Trade Unions (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

: ''Freie Gewerkschaften''; sometimes also translated as Free Labor Unions or Free Labour Unions) comprised the socialist trade union movement in Germany from 1890 to 1933. The term distinguished them from the liberal ("yellow") and Christian labor unions in Germany. Coordinated by 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, ...

until 1919 and later by the

General German Trade Union Federation 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 ...

, the Free Trade Unions consisted of forty-six individual labor organizations with a total of 2.5 million members as of 1914."Free Trade Unions (Freie Gewerkschaften)". In Campbell, Joan (ed.): ''European labor unions''. 1992, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut The term "free" was to note that these unions were independent worker organizations. The liberal ("yellow") unions were considered to be controlled by management and the "Christian" trade unions by the Catholic Church. Later, the term "free trade unions" also indicated those that were not fronts for the Communist Party.

References

Trade unions in Germany 1890 establishments in Germany 1933 disestablishments in Germany Trade unions established in 1890 {{Germany-org-stub

See also

References