Hello world

Now too through the streets of Heidelberg prowl black cats – this town now has its own official FAU!

After spending the first year under the name of “Unabhängige Basisgewerkschaft Heidelberg” in September of 2020, in the middle of the Corona crisis, we made the transition into a part of the FAU federation.

Are we really needed? You bet. Though Heidelberg has had a city council dominated by the Greens for years, we all know that doesn’t mean that the precariously employed can count on much help. Gentrification and costs of renting are huge issues in Heidelberg, especially for precariously employed or unemployed persons whose biggest chunk of income goes directly to their rent, unless they move to increasingly unappealing districts – or perhaps straight into Odenwald. Due to the omnipresent academic bubble, university groups, the various higher education students in Heidelberg there is no shortage of leftist and left-radical groups whose work concerns antifascism, feminism, climate change and gentrification – but no proletarian group taking up the cause of labour conflicts, especially the labour conflicts faced by the precariously employed, the unemployed, minijobbers and people lost in the system, as well as any other working conditions there may exist. (If we exclude the comrades over at labour union university groups.)

We’ve changed this fact, and we’re only getting started! Because we are furious! Infuriated by capitalism, by the Corona regulations adressed only at our private and social lives, but not at the situation of the richest (who have during this crisis become only richer); by the government and the police throwing the homeless and the squatters out of otherwise empty housing! By Frontex and Seehofer ignoring the illegal pushbacks along EU borders, ignoring racism within their organizations, criminalising saving human lives! By the Green led city council wanting to move the arrivals’ center for refugees out of the town, by the highway! By bosses who force their employees to agree to illegal changes to their contracts using Corona crisis as the excuse, ignoring labor laws! By institutions continuing to endulge the rich during the crisis, and forcing the working class to deal with the consequences! By big unions thinking negotiating tariffs is their only job! By left and right wing parties moving deeper and deeper into the capitalist mindest, destroy the climate and contradicting any logic, giving up completely the idea of a better world! By the millions dumped into governmental aid for Lufthansa and bankers, while school students get no air filters, but are asked to air their classrooms throughout winter, while school attendance remains compulsary! We’re infuriated by comsumerism oriented citizens giving up their rights and freedoms, who think they’ve done their job upholding democracy by going to vote once in 4 years! Infuriated by refugees, asylum seekers and exiles vegetating under horrifying, inhumane conditions along European borders, while Germany continues to export weapons, makes a mess out of European asylum policy and keeps worsening the cause of refugee influx through CO2 emissions, contamination of the environment and colonialist policies! ... and we could go on still...

There are so goddamn many good reasons to be furious! There are so goddamn many good reasons to become an anarchist, socialist, syndacalist, a member of a union or a communist and so goddamn few good reasons to continue working to benefit the state, the party or the company! So come and join in!

Join us, join your local FAU group, create structures based on solidarity and resistence! Walk the world with your head held high, let your voice and anger be heard and let us help you help ourselves! As members of FAU we believe labour conflict is the best tool for changing the world, and want to help people of Heidelberg in those things where help is hardest to find – precarious jobs, illicit employment, undeclared work, minijobs and temporary work, care work, underpriviliged persons, the unemployed. Our solidarity and help is there to let you improve your living and working conditions. Only so can meaningful change be made against the capitalistic labour exploitation and the miniscule improvements offered to the people suffering under it. Only so can the conflicts at and around work become about asserting yourself, as opposed to soul-sucking, oppressive, individual spirit destroying nightmares that can only be survived and endured, not lived. Whether construction workers, students, single parents, “bullshit-job” employees or the unemployed – we stand in solidarity with you, we’re infuriated, we’re anticapitalistic and we’re not particularly preoccupied with the rules of capitalism! There are no “too small” labour conflicts! There is no “unqualified” work! As furious we seem from the outside, we’re exactly as lovely and solidary on the inside! No one gets left behind!

If trying to read all that made you nod off, here’s the short version – come by our plenary meeting and have a chat with us! When and Where you can most easily find on our website: heidelberg.fau.org or write us at fauhd_kontakt@fau.org

Fuck the system! Love and solidarity to all our comrades! Your new local FAU in Heidelberg