A-Infos (en) Germany - Press release of FAU Berlin concering EUR 250.000 fine or

Press release of FAU Berlin concerning EUR 250.000 fine or 6 month of prison for the union 
secretaries ---- Kino Babylon files for disciplinary fee or arrest for disobedience to 
court orders against FAU Berlin ---- On january 12, the management of cinema Babylon Mitte 
filed at the Berlin county court (Landgericht) for a “harsh disciplinary fee or arrest for 
disobedience to court orders to be carried out against the (...) secretaries” of FAU 
Berlin. ---- Last year FAU Berlin had already been baned from using industrial action by 
court order and had finally been deprived the right to call itsself a “union“ or a 
“grass-root union”. According to the complainant FAU Berlin contravend those court orders. 
The punishment might be a disciplinary fee of up to EUR 250.000 (USD 375.000) or 
alternatively arrest for disobedience to court orders of up to six month.

FAU Berlin secretary Lars Röhm: “As to our opinion this is ipso facto a legal union 
prohibition, that goes against the constitutional freedom of industrial association and 
international conventions, such as the ILO ones for instance. Evidently menacing a workers 
association with imprisonment adds an additional and alarming dimension in respect to 
human rights to all this. Once more the petition filed by the management illustrates the 
bosses anti-employee sentiments”

This case of workers beeing urgently menaced with imprisonment for their activism in a 
workers association, might well me matchless in the labour history of the federal republic 
of Germany. It illustrates the alarming proportions, the industrial conflict in cinema 
Babylon Mitte has assumed and which menacing verdicts Berlin courts already returned 
against FAU Berlin. There are no illusions concerning the latest German jurisdiction. The 
ipso facto legal union prohibition is obviously based on political reasons and turns into 
a screaming farce, where FAU Berlin is remotely tabooed from using the term “union” under 
the arbitrary menace to be indicted at any possible instance.

Behind all this is the evident attempt to muzzle FAU Berlin and to break its 
organizational strength. That won't get them anywhere. The FAU is tenacious and can count 
on widespread solidarity. No matter what will be the outcome of this petition - if the 
managements intention was to impose silence, they will get the contrary. With every step 
in repression discontent is rising and the situation escalating.

This won't propably slip the attention of the “Linkspartei” 1) and the ver.di trade union 
that are to be made partly responsible for this situation. They will as well be under the 
gun to take a stance concerning Babylon and the verdicts, as a part of Grossmans 2) 
Harakiri. Recognizing FAU Berlin and safeguarding the interests of the shop floor are the 
only road to de-escalation.

FAU Berlin

For more information:
--------------------
Special page concerning the verdict against FAU Berlin:

http://www.fau.org/verbot
Blog of cinema Babylon Mitte workers:
http://prekba.blogsport.de

Press contact: Lars Röhm | faub5(a)fau.org | +49 01577 8491072
FAU Berlin general membership branch
Strassburger Strasse 38 / D-10405 Berlin
fon: +49 30 287 00804
fax: +49 30 287 008 13
mail: faub(a)fau.org
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