A brief article describing the German anarcho-syndicalist union, the FAU's 39th Congress. Originally appeared in the Industrial Worker July/August 2015.

In this month’s column we focus on some news from Germany. In May, the 39th congress of the Freie ArbeiterInnen-Union (FAU), the German syndicalists Free Workers Union, took place in Berlin. The delegates shared their current struggles and campaigns and discussed the recent plans in response to legal changes by the federal government. The principle of labor unity would be mandatory which just allows the biggest union to come up with collective agreements and activities around it. In fact, the options of minority unions in a shop are cut and limited.

Beside the participation of delegates from all branches across Germany, international guests from all over Europe showed up and shared their struggles and strategies. Our delegates from the German Language Area Regional Organizing Committee (GLAMROC) described the congress as very productive and fruitful for all participating unions.

Also in Berlin, the FAU signed a collective agreement in a small business operating an online shop and dispatch center. After tough and long negotiation the FAU Berlin managed to increase the pay level by 30 percent and limit the weekly hours to 35 as the major achievements in the agreement.

But the main difference to other collective agreements in Germany is that all workers have the same rights of participation as one workers council. All eight employees in that small businessare organized in the FAU workers’ group and make decisions together as one of the main principles of the FAU.

The IWW sends warm congratulations to our comrades from the FAU. Thanks for inspiring the workers to fight!