The General Workers' Union of Germany (; AAUD) was a factory organisation formed following the German Revolution of 1918–1919 in opposition to the traditional trade unions.

The AAUD was formed by the left communists in the Communist Workers' Party of Germany (KAPD) who considered organising based on trades as being an outmoded form of organisation and instead advocated organising workers based on factories, thus forming the AAUD. They were influenced by the industrial unionism of the Industrial Workers of the World. The council communists organised these factory organisations as the basis for region-wide workers' councils.

General Workers' Union of Germany

A section of the AAUD led by Otto Rühle split from the AAUD, forming the Allgemeine Arbeiter-Union – Einheitsorganisation.

General Workers' Union of Germany

See also

Council communism

Cuno strikes

Factory committee

Left communism

Works council

References

External links

Program of the AAUD

The Communist Left in Germany 1918-1921

The Origins of the Movement for Workers' Councils in Germany

Theses on the Role of the Party in the Proletarian Revolution

Theses On The Fight Of The Working Class Against Capitalism

Letter on Workers Councils

Communist organisations in Germany

Labor in Germany

Labor history

Organizations of the German Revolution of 1918–1919

Council communist organizations

General Workers' Union of Germany