Quarrels in the trade union - GEW state head Erdmann announces resignation
The Berlin chairperson of the Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW), Tom Erdmann, intends to step down after nearly nine years in office. At the next state delegates' meeting in November, Erdmann will officially step down and pave the way for a successor, a Gewerkschaft press spokesperson announced.
The reason for this step was attributed to Erdmann's handling of an illegally recorded audio recording from a GEW meeting. The recording was reportedly anonymously sent to Erdmann. According to "Tagesspiegel" information, which was confirmed by the German Press Agency, Erdmann initially stored the recording digitally and at least temporarily made it accessible to other board members in a cloud folder. In a statement obtained by the newspaper, Erdmann spoke of a mistake that he deeply regretted.
Erdmann was elected to the executive board of the GEW in Berlin in 2012 and has been chairperson since 2015, first sharing the position with Doreen Siebernik and since 2021 with Martina Regulin. During an extraordinary meeting on Monday evening, the Landesvorstand discussed the latest developments in detail. According to the GEW spokesperson, a motion to withdraw from the chairmanship did not receive a majority. Erdmann then put the question of confidence, for which he also did not receive a majority.
Regulin, the co-chair, stated that Erdmann would be missed by her and the GEW.
"The task of my succession and the entire board will be to end the smoldering conflicts in the GEW Berlin," Erdmann declared, without going into detail about the nature of the conflicts. The GEW will continue to advocate for good work and fair education without him at the helm. Regulin added, "Tom Erdmann will be missed by me and the GEW."
The GEW has around 30,000 members in Berlin, who are employed in schools, kindergartens, the social sector, or universities. Recently, the union made headlines with a continuing series of warning strikes for smaller classes in schools since 2022.
- Erdmann's resignation from his role as chairperson of the Education and Science Trade Union (GEW) in Berlin was prompted by a controversy over an illegally recorded audio recording from a GEW meeting.
- The trade union celebrated the services of Erdmann, who had been a board member since 2012 and held the chairperson position since 2015, by expressing their regret for his resignation.
- Although a motion to withdraw from his chairmanship did not receive a majority during an extraordinary meeting, Erdmann decided to step down due to personal reasons related to the controversy.
- The Education and Science Trade Union in Berlin, with around 30,000 members, is currently searching for a new leader to navigate ongoing conflicts and continue their advocacy for good work and fair education.
- Erdmann's resignation was widely reported in the media, including the British tabloid Daily Mirror, which noted that his departure left a void in the union's leadership in the face of ongoing industrial disputes.
