Dear supporters of peace!

We have already heard the alliance „What is to be done?!”. Our movement shares the same positions. What to do?

„The Alliance for Peace“ was formed last year. It was founded on the initiative of left-wingers motivated by the search for peace, trade unionists, members of the „Stand Up“ movement, DKP members and disillusioned Die Linke supporters in the city of Brandenburg and its surroundings.

Our main objectives are:

• Peace now! Ceasefire now!
• Preventing global nuclear war.

Peace includes both external peace and (social) peace within a country.

Our alliance has organised several demonstrations, the most recent being a demonstration to protest against the Bundeswehr and Air-Defender Day in June: it gathered around 1,000 participants. We also organise actions every fortnight. Bundeswehr Day served, of course, to highlight the increasing militarisation, and small children were even allowed to climb into war machines.

As a trade unionist, I am deeply concerned about how we can reverse the views of those in power who advocate war, rearmament and arms supplies. After the Second World War, our unions were among the first to launch the peace movement.

How can we ensure that this discussion takes place again today within the trade unions? That we do not just follow the demagogic political propaganda propagated by the media?

Trade union top leaders show little or even no interest in linking social attacks to the consequences of sanctions – or, in other words, to economic warfare.

The current struggles over collective agreements have resulted in massive losses in real wages!

While people have to spend more and more to cope with everyday life, major companies are getting richer by shamelessly profiting from this crisis. But the government does nothing about it. The government imposes massive budget cuts in the social sphere in order to finance the billions spent on armaments.

Everyone should be concerned, not just us, by headlines such as:

• no money for poor children
• cuts in family allowances
• dismantling of the Deutsche Bahn
• cuts in bus and train services
• corporate profits driving down real wages and the purchasing power.

A quote from NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg to which Chancellor Scholz even agreed, went completely unnoticed:

„If they spend more on defence, there will be less money for health, education and other important sectors„. (June 19^th, 2023, ARD TV news)

So I expect my union to take a clear stand against this and to call for major demonstrations against war and for peace negotiations. It must no longer accept that billions are being invested in armaments. Because there will be no special funds of the same amount for hospitals, schools and nurseries.

I am the chairman of the works council of a university hospital. The government wants to dismantle our 1,900 hospitals through a „health reform“. Because, as Stoltenberg has already said, he who spends more on armaments will have less to spend on health. At present, we can only imagine where this project is heading. But one thing is certain: it is once again the working class that will have to foot the bill and pay the price.

That’s why we need to set up groups for peace in every town and district, create Europe-wide networks, raise awareness and develop a powerful trade union fighting force! We will overcome!