Timelines

In the GDR, the resistance of migrant workers took a different form than in the FRG (see Strikes in the FRG, 1973). Although there were rebellions and acts of disobedience, there were no events that reached the intensity of the “wildcat strikes” in the FRG. The most common forms of resistance were therefore complaints to superiors and the refusal to perform certain tasks. This was particularly the case when these tasks were an expression of unequal treatment of migrant workers and their majority German colleagues, such as particularly heavy or dangerous work that was mainly imposed on migrant workers. However, work stoppages and strikes also occur. Examples include the strike by Algerian workers in 1975, who secured an increase in separation allowances, and the multi-day work stoppage in 1985 by 22 Mozambican workers at the VEB (state-owned enterprise) in Meerane, Saxony. Such events are very often followed by sanctions, for example in the form of financial cuts or even repatriation. Resistance also occurs outside the workplace. Since many are controlled by German officials within their living quarters (entry and passport checks, room checks, prohibition of overnight stays outside the dormitory), individuals or groups resist these restrictions and thus regain a little more freedom in their lives.