Wood and Plastic Union

The Wood and Plastic Union, known in German as Gewerkschaft Holz und Kunststoff and commonly abbreviated GHK, was a trade union in West Germany representing employees in wood manufacturing, furniture production, timber-related work, and plastics manufacturing. It was established in 1949 during the postwar reconstruction of West Germany and was affiliated with the German Trade Union Confederation. Although plastics workers were included in its constituency from the beginning, the organization remained primarily a wood-sector union for most of its existence: approximately 90 percent of its membership was employed in wood manufacturing according to the available historical account. The union operated within the German system of industry-based trade union representation. Its role was to organize workers, represent their collective interests, and participate in labor relations affecting the industries within its jurisdiction. The available reference material does not provide detailed information about its collective bargaining agreements, regional structures, strikes, social programs, or specific employer negotiations, so those aspects cannot be described reliably here. The organization was led by a succession of presidents beginning with Markus Schleicher in 1949. Later presidents included Franz Valentiner, Heinz Seeger, Gerhard Vater, Kurt Georgi, Horst Morich, and Gisbert Schlemmer. By 1998, the union had approximately 145,128 members, making it a substantial organization within the German trade-union movement. Its membership profile nevertheless continued to reflect the predominance of wood manufacturing within its historical remit, even as plastics became an increasingly important industrial field. The Wood and Plastic Union ceased to exist as an independent union when it merged into IG Metall in 2000. The merger formed part of the broader consolidation of German trade-union organizations. Following that integration, representation for the relevant groups of workers was transferred to IG Metall, and the Wood and Plastic Union became a historical rather than active labor organization. It should therefore be treated as a defunct trade-union institution rather than as a current consumer or industrial product brand.

The Wood and Plastic Union, or Gewerkschaft Holz und Kunststoff (GHK), was founded in 1949 in West Germany. It joined the German Trade Union Confederation and represented employees in both wood and plastics manufacturing. The union's creation reflected the postwar organization of German labor representation along industrial lines, giving workers in related manufacturing fields a dedicated institutional representative. Despite its combined name and its inclusion of plastics workers from the outset, the union's membership remained strongly concentrated in the wood sector. The available historical account indicates that roughly 90 percent of its members worked in wood manufacturing. Its constituency therefore covered a mixed industrial field, but its identity and organizational weight were rooted principally in woodworking and associated production. The available sources do not provide sufficient detail to reconstruct the union's individual bargaining campaigns, internal departments, regional offices, or relations with particular companies. The organization was headed by a series of presidents. Markus Schleicher led it from its establishment in 1949, followed by Franz Valentiner in 1951, Heinz Seeger in 1953, and Gerhard Vater in 1958. Kurt Georgi became president in 1977, Horst Morich in 1981, and Gisbert Schlemmer in 1993. These leadership changes mark the principal documented stages of the union's institutional history. By 1998, the Wood and Plastic Union had a reported membership of 145,128. This figure demonstrates that it remained a significant participant in German organized labor near the end of the twentieth century. At the same time, the union operated during a period in which German trade unions increasingly faced industrial restructuring, changing employment patterns, and pressure to coordinate or consolidate representation. The supplied sources do not establish how those broader developments affected the union's finances, bargaining results, or membership trends beyond the 1998 figure. In 2000, the Wood and Plastic Union merged into IG Metall. The transaction ended the union's independent legal and organizational existence and transferred its representation to a larger German industrial union. The Wood and Plastic Union is consequently best understood as a historical West German trade union active from 1949 to 2000, rather than as an ongoing brand or current membership organization.

• 2000

  Merged into IG Metall

  [1]Wood and Plastic Unionen.wikipedia.org

  The Wood and Plastic Union ended its independent existence after merging into IG Metall.

• 1998

  Membership reaches 145,128

  [1]Wood and Plastic Unionen.wikipedia.org

  The union was reported to have 145,128 members.

• 1993

  Gisbert Schlemmer becomes president

  [1]Wood and Plastic Unionen.wikipedia.org

  Gisbert Schlemmer became the union's final documented president.

• 1981

  Horst Morich becomes president

  [1]Wood and Plastic Unionen.wikipedia.org

  Horst Morich became president of the organization.

• 1977

  Kurt Georgi becomes president

  [1]Wood and Plastic Unionen.wikipedia.org

  Kurt Georgi took over the union presidency, succeeding the earlier postwar leadership.

• 1949

  Union founded

  [1]Wood and Plastic Unionen.wikipedia.org

  The Wood and Plastic Union was established in West Germany and affiliated with the German Trade Union Confederation.

A sector-focused German trade union representing employees in wood and plastics manufacturing, with its historical membership concentrated mainly in wood manufacturing.

• 2000

  Merger with IG MetallM&A

  Background

  The union operated as a German industrial-sector trade union representing workers in wood and plastics manufacturing.

  Action taken

  It merged into IG Metall, ending its separate organizational existence.

  Aftermath

  Representation of its members and covered sectors continued within IG Metall.

  Source

• 2000

  Wood and Plastic Union merges into IG Metall[1]Wood and Plastic Unionen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Other

  The Wood and Plastic Union was absorbed into IG Metall in a merger that ended its independent existence.

1. 1Wood and Plastic Unionen.wikipedia.org