Change at the Rhein-Main district association of IG BAU

DARMSTADT – (red). Bruno Walle has been elected chairman of the Rhein-Main district association of the industrial trade union Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (IG BAU). According to IG BAU, the 63-year-old will now also look after the interests of construction workers, cleaning staff and employees in agriculture and forestry in Darmstadt. According to the employment agency, around 2,800 people currently work in the branches of IG BAU in the city – 1,000 of them in the main construction trade and 1,300 in building cleaning.

According to the announcement, Walle is a trained mason and concrete worker. After completing his training, he studied civil engineering. The 63-year-old comes from Saarland and lives in Groß-Gerau. He has been active in trade unions in southern Hesse since 1979 – as a member of the state youth board of IG BAU Hessen in the 1980s up to the chairmanship of the DGB local branch in Groß-Gerau (from 2017). The trade unionist has been deputy district chairman of IG BAU Rhein-Main for almost five years. According to IG BAU, Walle also volunteers at the IHK Darmstadt, where he conducts exams for prospective draftsmen.

“Whether on the construction site, in the cleaning company or in the painting company – especially in the workplace it is important that people pull together. Better wages and working conditions don’t just appear out of the blue,” Walle is quoted as saying in the statement. The trade unionist appeals to the employees to stand up for their own interests. The trades in the region in particular will be dependent on thousands of additional skilled workers in the next few years. Employees should therefore not sell themselves below value. According to Walle, experts should insist on collective payment. Anyone who earns too little should contact IG BAU on site.

There is a lot to do, especially in terms of housing. “Especially in the Rhine-Main area, affordable apartments are in short supply. A lot more has to happen here, especially in social housing construction.” It is crucial to allow employees to participate fairly in the construction boom.

According to the statement, the trade unionist also announced that he would get involved in political debates: “Many projects of the Berlin traffic light coalition have a direct impact in our region – from the housing offensive to the restructuring of agriculture to the statutory pension. IG BAU Rhein-Main will get involved in all of these topics and will also keep a close eye on local and state politics.”