We meet regularly:

• Every first Tuesday of the month, 7:00–9:00 p.m., for the general meeting of the FAU Hamburg (including the sections Lüneburg & Lübeck)
• Every third Sunday of the month, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. for the FAU-Hamburg plenary meeting, and from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. for the thematic plenary meeting.

Where? At the libertarian centre ‘Schwarze Katze’, Fettstraße 23, 20357 Hamburg

We look forward to seeing you!

In Germany, too, students are rightfully dissatisfied. Inspired primarily by France, the first isolated school blockades have now taken place in Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg.
The protests here were directed against the federal government’s budget cuts, which also affect education. However, from the very beginning, these cuts were also viewed in the context of the country’s militarization. Students expressed their opposition to the creeping reintroduction of mandatory military service and the opening of schools to the Bundeswehr.
In Berlin and Hamburg, too, students were intimidated by the police, and at the Max-Brauer-Schule in Hamburg, a student was pushed away by a police cordon.

The cuts mean that
– school trips are being canceled,
– afternoon classes at elementary schools are being canceled,
– substitute teachers can no longer be paid,
– classes will have 31 students instead of 29,
– full-time teachers are expected to work one hour longer per week for the same pay

Furthermore, inclusion is under attack as positions for social workers—who support students with special learning needs—are being completely eliminated. Instead of investing in our future, they’re cutting costs at our expense. The City of Hamburg would rather increase police staffing and cut administrative positions.

The Hamburg police are already preparing for the protests to escalate, and the first repressive measures are being taken:
– Parents are no longer allowed to give their children blanket sick leave on Fridays
– The police have contacted several schools and made it clear to them that protests must not be permitted
– A central reporting office has been set up where school principals are urged to report students who are planning blockades

These are not circumstances that simply have to be accepted. This political strategy pursues two goals: It generates short-term growth, and the austerity measures increase competition, particularly in social professions. A desperately needed social or ecological transformation of society is being sacrificed at the expense of militarization. This is happening in the context of increased armament and the constant austerity dictates imposed on us by those in power. The aim is to better protect capital and property and to improve their own position in the competition among nations, while we come under greater pressure. We therefore support the resistance of Hamburg’s students. The federal government is also destroying our future.

All across Europe in recent weeks and months, people have been rebelling against their governments and the consequences of the prevailing conditions. Everywhere, people are angry about expensive food, high rent, poor education, and corruption. 400,000 people in Paris, 800,000 people at protests organized by the Spanish labor union CGT, and tens of thousands in Italy. In Serbia, long-time President Vucic was voted out of office on October 26 after two years of protests against his government’s corruption. In Albania, too, people are protesting against President Edi Rama’s neoliberal concessions and demanding his resignation. It’s time to stop letting others rule us!

On October 31, 2026, students and other young people took to the streets in over 30 German cities under the banner “Gen Z Rules,” demanding a future for all people—free from discrimination—with education for all, an affordable cost of living, and a say for young people, while opposing social cuts, militarization, and conscription. We support these legitimate demands and condemn the criminalization of the protests in the run-up to the event by the CDU, the police, and interest groups representing the wealthy. Anyone who engages in such massive smear campaigns to discredit young demonstrators is deeply afraid of these legitimate demands.

We are workers who share your frustration and anger over these developments. We don’t just want to express solidarity—we’re offering you our support. Feel free to contact us: fauhh@fau.org

We call on everyone to participate in the international school strike on November 20. Students can also use all the support they can get from the broader community.

Let’s unite our struggles, because they are interconnected. Our strength lies in our solidarity with one another!

However, the elimination of sick leave by phone is far worse for wage earners living in one of the many regions with inadequate medical care. Here, our government is placing a completely unnecessary burden on doctors and patients instead of first doing its own job and ensuring comprehensive, high-quality primary care across the country.

Can this “reform” help reduce the number of sick days? Hardly! Anyone who drags themselves to work on Friday with a moderate cold—just to avoid the newly created bureaucratic hassle of getting a sick note—will ultimately ensure that even more colleagues are sick the following Monday and that their own recovery takes longer. Not to mention the long-term health consequences of letting a cold drag on.

What could really help? We actually have fairly good occupational safety and health regulations for businesses. However, there are almost never any consequences for business owners who fail to comply with them. Better enforcement of existing regulations in the workplace would be a measure that could truly help improve health.

For example, if an employer fails to take effective measures to protect workers from the heat, workplaces may have to be left empty on hot days. This could lead to a learning effect by next year and help prevent serious health consequences from working in extreme heat. However, it is clear that we cannot rely on the government in this regard!

For example, if you’re discussing ways to network more effectively within your workplace to advocate for your interests, or if you’re an individual who wants to get involved in a union and share ideas, please feel free to contact us!

Disclaimer: This is not a statement on the Middle East conflict. It concerns the interpretation of local events, as well as how we interact with comrades and the manner in which criticism of other positions is expressed.

For several years now, the Rote Flora has repeatedly been the target of hostility and attacks. These attacks do not come from right-wing groups, but from groups identifying as left-wing within the anti-imperialist spectrum. The reason for this is that, in the aftermath of October 7, the Flora stood in solidarity with Jewish people. Thus, the banner “Killing Jews is not fighting for freedom” became the starting point for, among other things, attacks (some of which were specifically directed at individual activists), defamation on “social” media, a short-term occupation, and accusations of racism.

Comrades who gave presentations at Flora were also subjected to online hate speech and incitement.

Even when there are conflicting viewpoints in a conflict, the very least one can do is maintain a basic level of respect for the other side. Since October 7, 2023, this has not been the case for some groups toward Flora.

The FAU Hamburg stands in solidarity with the Rote Flora and condemns the authoritarian attacks on the center.

Mehr Infos: https://www.entschlossen-offen.de

Thanks to everyone who participated or helped out behind the scenes!

The PSL will present an engaging overview of the history of the post-Soviet space: the development of the extra-parliamentary opposition, how the political landscape has changed since 2022, and what the left is focusing on today—both domestically and in exile.

In addition, as FAU, we will present our work as a grassroots, militant union and explain why real life only begins with collective action and union membership.

With this event, we aim to identify areas for collaboration and launch joint initiatives. This is precisely the focus of the joint closing workshop included in the program.

When? Very soon—next weekend, in fact!

Saturday, April 25, 2026 — Starts at 3:00 PM

Sunday, April 26, 2026 — Starts at 10:30 AM

10:30 AM – 2:00 PM is the Russian-language session
The German-language session begins at 2:00 PM

Where?

At the trade union building of the FAU.: Fettstraße 23, 20357 Hamburg

Languages: german, russian

Check out the whole program

in russian: program

Implementation is scheduled to begin in April 2026, subject to final approval by the Hamburg Parliament. We refuse to accept this and, in light of the imminent implementation, are calling on everyone to take to the streets together on March 21 at 12 pm. We call on the Hamburg City Parliament to withdraw the planned reintroduction of routine inquiries by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution!

Protecting democracy cannot be ensured simply by submitting a request for information to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. At a time when resilience and the promotion of democracy are needed more than ever, this law cannot be the solution. That is why we urge you to join us in speaking out and let us make it clear just how important civic engagement is!

The CDU plans to target ALL farmworkers; the IGG says, “Not with us!”

On February 26, 2026, according to media reports, the CDU party convention in Stuttgart voted² unanimously in favor of a motion to deny foreign seasonal workers the minimum wage. This is an attack on the wage levels of all workers in the industry. The trade union initiative IGG-FAU condemns this latest move and is threatening nationwide actions. It has been calling for a €15 minimum wage for all workers in the industry since 2025.³

Jasmin Hofer, a spokesperson for the IGG: “With its attacks on the retirement age, the 8-hour workday, part-time regulations, sick leave, unemployment benefits, and much more, the CDU is increasingly positioning itself as a party opposed to the rights of all wage earners. Now German workers are being pitted against foreign workers. But experience shows that when wages fall for one group, the overall wage level falls for everyone. Incidentally, this is happening in the very industry that feeds us and where there are constant complaints about a shortage of skilled workers.”

“Ultimately, no one who voted for this motion should be allowed to buy asparagus or strawberries anymore,” said Hofer, “but for now, we’re planning other union campaigns against the party. We’re also keeping a close eye on the SPD as a coalition partner, of course.”

Migrant seasonal workers, in particular, account for about one-third of the agricultural workforce in Germany. They work primarily in labor-intensive specialty crops and on small to medium-sized farms. They are already among the occupational groups with the lowest pay, the longest workdays, and the highest number of (often fatal) accidents.⁴ The IGG is calling for full parity in employment conditions for migrant seasonal workers, including social security, wages, and labor rights. In its policy statement, the union voted in May 2025 to fight for a minimum wage of €15 for all workers in horticulture, forestry, agriculture, and environmental professions.

1. https://gruene-gewerke.fau.org/?p=642 ︎
2. https://www.fr.de/wirtschaft/mindestlohn-soll-nicht-mehr-fuer-alle-gelten-cdu-parteitag-der-zr-94180686.html ︎
3. The IGG's demands regarding company policy can be found here: https://gruene-gewerke.fau.org/?page_id=426 ︎
4. In 2021 and 2023, 125 colleagues in the green sector lost their lives; in 2022, the number was 117. https://www.wochenblatt-dlv.de/feld-stall/landtechnik/toedliche-unfaelle-landwirtschaft-landwirte-wissen-muessen-579569 ︎