72 percent of 18 to 29 year olds in Germany think it is positive when unions gain power and influence; among those over 60, it is only 55 percent. This was the result of a current Forsa survey for RTL Group Germany. The background is the numerous strikes of the past few weeks as well as increased membership numbers at Ver.di and IG Metall.
Although many people were affected by the strikes, such as train drivers and bus drivers, a positive assessment predominates: Overall, 60 percent of those surveyed welcome more assertive unions, while 35 percent find this rather problematic. Approval is almost the same in East (63 percent) and West (60 percent).
At 79 percent, supporters of the Green Party are even slightly more union-friendly than supporters of the SPD (71 percent). Although the AfD’s party program is very economically liberal, the vast majority of AfD supporters – 65 percent – find influential trade unions positive for Germany.
Among FDP voters, skeptics and supporters of strong unions are balanced at 47 percent each; A similar picture emerges among CDU/CSU voters (48 percent positive, 49 percent rather negative).
The data was collected by the market and opinion research institute forsa for RTL Group Germany on February 1st and 2nd, 2024. Database: 1003 respondents. Statistical margin of error: /- 3 percentage points
The exact question was: There have been a large number of strikes by various trade unions in Germany recently. At the same time, the membership numbers of unions such as IG Metall and Ver.di have increased significantly. If trade unions gain more power and influence again, will that be positive or problematic for Germany?
