Tho West Gorman Trade Union Fo ‘oderation (D.eGoBe), at at its congross in Hanover last wook, by-passed a dispute which threatoned to divide its member unions: whether to adopt a programme explicitly accepting today's capitalism and by implication dropping nationalisation in a fow isolated instances such as coal. But an oxtra~ ordinary Congress is to meet within 12 months to discuss the issue. The key passage in the reformers! proposals for a now programme said that competition was an essential element in the running of the economy. It was penned by Mr. Ludwig Rosenberg, who was elected chairman of the D.G.Be, with only a handful of dissentients. lir, Rosenberg is a product of D.G.B. hoadquartors. He is a unionist of the "managorial" school, not a mass orator or strike leader.
The big Showdown at the congress was won by the left wing, led by iixe Otto Brenner, leader of the metal-workors,(which has about a quarter of the 6.4m workers belonging to unions affiliated to the D.G.eB.) by a two-to-one majority on a political issue. It put the D.G.B. on record as opposing the passage of any kind of legislation permitting the Government to take emergency powers in case of need. liz, Brenner is unlikely to give ground on the nationalisation issue when the oxtra-ordinary congress mcotse