Germany's New Labor Legislation

Abstract

THE collapse of the mighty German war machine in November, 1918, forced the reactionary authorities to relinquish the governmental powers to the great mass of the workers. The socialist leaders, who were quick to assume the reigns of government, now had a chance to transform into reality ideas which had long been incorporated in their party program, and for which they had led an intrepid struggle for decades. They were also quick to see, however, that the Germany they had inherited-with its industrial life completely disorganized and its people utterly impoverished and demoralized -was no fit object for extreme socialistic experiments, and they resisted strenuously all efforts of the radicals, especially those who wanted to drive forward the revolution after the Russian example. Out of the struggles of the revolutionary period there emerged in Germany a democratic-parliamentary system. The attempts of the workers to obtain industrial democracy at the same time were not to be successful. Nor were the workers able to effect fundamental changes in the traditional relations between capital and labor. Nevertheless, they were able to make an impression upon the labor laws enacted during and after the revolution, which reflects the great change that has taken place in the workers' position in the new Germany. The labor legislation before the war, although it no doubt conferred considerable social benefits, bore the stamp of the absolutistic character of the State.