Catherwood LibraryILR School

Members of the Zentrum Automobil union and labor representatives at automobile company Daimler’s headquarters in the Untertuerkheim plant in Germany have been accused of aligning themselves with neo-Nazism and using the union as a venue for proliferating their speech. This issue has recently escalated as the union allegedly harboring neo-Nazis has gained two more seats during the election of new representatives for Daimler’s works council, furthering their influence and power among other trade unions and their employer. The German media’s assertion that top labor leaders at Daimler have expressed xenophobic and anti-Semitic views has been met with severe scrutiny, especially given that the company was closely affiliated with the Nazis during World War II, resurfacing Daimler’s dark history. In addition, the political climate in Germany, fraught with xenophobia and concerns of “intruders” taking German employment, has made the public more sensitive to these kinds of accusations. Many fear that giving this union more power signals a seal of approval on neo-Nazis and may help spread their ideology.