How to Break a Strike

from Democratic German Report Details of an astonishing West German police document setting out in great detail how strikes should be broken were published by the East Berlin Neves Deutschland on December 25th, The newspaper reproduced in photostatic form long extracts from the West German document, which had originally been printed as a confidential supplement to the West German semi-official magazine Die Polizei in April, 1965. The six page plan, calling for close police-employer collaboration, confidential police agents in the trade unions,,and mass arrests of ‘agitators', was drafted by Police Commissioner Josef Miller, who works on the staff of the Police College at Hilstrup, North-Rhine-Westphalia. The document takes the form of an account of an imaginary strike launched by the Metal Workers Union, most militant of the West German trade unions. Here are some extracts: “After wage negotiations have broken down, members of the Metal Workers Union are polled; 83% of the organised workers declare in favour of trade union measures. Since March Ist 1965 they have been on strike.... "At 6.45a.m. on March 22nd there is a serious clash at the factory gate of the West German Steel Works between a group of between 200 and 300 strikers, obviously under the influence of agitators, and persons willing to work who wish to enter the factory....The reports from the Steel Works, and also a confidential tip from the trade union that similar action is to be expected at other factories, cause the Police President to apply to the Minister of the Interior for support from the Mobile Police, which have been standing by for some days. (Mobile Police in W. Germany are semimilitary police forces living in barracks; they are equipped with armoured cars, machine guns etc., ed. "The strike situation has now become more acute. Messages have just come in that a group of about 500 persons has rallied in front of the Steel Works. Traffic is blocked. Pamphlets have been distributed calling for forcible measures against persons willing to work, and making propaganda against the Government. Some ring-leaders have been recognised ami photographed.....A company of the Mobile Police, together with detectives and watereannon prevents further assemblies at the factory gates, arresting ring-leaders and securing eviderce..s..coe "When a strike threatens, information should be sought on the ...leading personalities, situation of possible strike H.Q.....Contact should be made with the strike leadership and the employers should be asked for the fol-~ lowing information: a) Numbers of strikers and persons willing to work, How many are organised in trade unions? b) Which workers are known as radjcals?. How has their previous behaviour been? c) Details on those willing to work. Do they include foreign workers, and what countries do they come from?...For the gathering of information, detectives should be used individually and in groups, It is useful if they are equipped with cameras, since photos make prosecution easier. Police dogs are useful for guarding . factory property; in other cases their use is psyChologically dangerous and should be avoided ,....For the arrest of ring -leaders, special arrest squads should be formed. 11 preparations must be made to bring those arrested, under guard, to the arrest cages."