"The protest served as a means for me to fortify my resolve as a youth"

Ford's 1973 labor dispute served as a pivotal point in West Germany's migrant empowerment. Recent literature explores the ongoing debate surrounding this historical event.

, and Administrator

2025 September 15 . 7:34 PM

2 min read

"Building resolve during the strike proved empowering for me as a budding individual"

"The protest served as a means for me to fortify my resolve as a youth"

In August 1973, a significant labor dispute unfolded at the Ford plant in Cologne, Germany. The strike, primarily involving migrant workers, was a turning point in the fight against poor working conditions and discrimination.

On August 30, under police protection, tensions escalated as some German colleagues joined in attacks against their migrant colleagues, resulting in bloody confrontations. This incident, along with reports of harassment by foremen and some German colleagues, highlighted the challenges faced by migrant workers in the workforce.

The works council's policy of ignoring migrant employees' interests and inflammatory speeches contributed to the support of such groups among the strikers. The split within the IG Metall union during this time was rooted in these conflicts, as well as demands for higher wages and better working conditions.

The internal division was further intensified by the police and plant security's violent suppression of the strike. Some German workers sided with authorities against migrant strikers, reflecting tensions within the union and the workforce over solidarity and recognition of migrant workers' rights.

Jewish left-socialists like Max Diamant and Jakob Moneta advocated for the IG Metall to be opened up to migrants, a stance supported by the then IG Metall chairman Otto Brenner. However, anarchosyndicalists and communist splinter parties were blamed for the split in the Ford workforce by Rossmann, who also claims that these contemporary struggles "had a strictly anti-union organizing" under the leadership of the Autonomen and the FAU, denying the FAU's status as a union outside the DGB.

The base union Freie Arbeiter*innen-Union (FAU) was significantly involved in organizing these contemporary struggles since 2017. The strike is rediscovered in anti-racist contexts as the beginning of migrant self-assertion.

Fifty years later, the strike is once again a significant topic, especially for a younger generation. The book, "The Strike Helped Me as a Young Person to Gain Strength. Migrant Struggles Against Exploitation and Racism", published in 2025, documents the debate impressively. With 467 pages, hardcover, and a price of 22 €, the book discusses not only the 1973 strike but also contemporary migrant labor struggles, such as those of bicycle couriers who place themselves in the tradition of fights from 50 years ago.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the strike, there were congresses and events where some of the former strikers spoke, shedding light on this important chapter in German labor history. The Ford strike in Cologne remains a testament to the resilience and determination of migrant workers in their fight for fair treatment and respect.