Home - Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in the German Language Area

A Wobbly → The Wobblies

A member of the Industrial Workers of the World, a rank-and-file-run, international union dedicated to the abolition of the wage system.

The IWW is a grassroots, worker-run, international union for all workers in all workplaces, dedicated to organizing both on and off the job, in our industries and our communities. Founded in 1905, we stand by the principles written in our Preamble, that the working class and the employing class have nothing in common, and that the wage system must be abolished. By organizing from below, based on solidarity, we are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old.

Digital Reportage: Union? → Do it yourself!

Annoyed by the boss? You want to learn to organize yourself with your colleagues? We'll show you how it's done, using the example of three campaigns in the system gastronomy. In addition, we give you a look behind the scenes of grassroots trade union organisation. How can you start if you are alone in your company? Which experiences are helpful and should be considered? How can failures be avoided if possible?

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Buch: Spuren der Arbeit. Geschichten von Jobs und Widerstand

Do you have the corona crisis? → Then you need a militant union!

Overloaded? Short time? Thrown out? The IWW offers you the tools you need to organise yourself or your business. With field reports on industrial action, tools for planning, seminars on self-organization and contacts on site.

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Education

Knowledge is power. To build power in our shops and other parts of our lives we organize several educational events to share strategies, tools and experiences of struggles we had. We organize as colleagues, as neighbours, ass unemployed, as refugees, as students. These events are organized by the Organizing Department and the Training Committee. Experiences from all our IWW sections around the world have been included in these events.

Learn how to organize yourself

Organisation

We want a world that is built on human needs. This vision has been opposed by the capitalist forms of exploitation. We organize as global as the capital, talk and learn from each other. That makes a lot of things easier but has it’s challenges. We don’t let us be divided by origin, race, gender or resident status. An injury to one is an injury to all. Since 1905.

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Emancipation

Emancipation to overcome the wage system arises if we organize ourselves based on solidarity from below. If we take what we deserve, across national borders without the permission of existing institutions. On it’s way we teach each other all the skills that we need to live a life without exploitation and oppression. At all spheres of life: in the kitchen, care work, the shops and the struggles with landlords and state agencies.

Build a new world