We are IG Metall Dorothea Eickelmann

“We manufacture high-quality plastic packaging for media products—that is, the blister packs used to package items like USB drives or game consoles. As a packer, I take the pre-cut packaging out of the machine and pack it into boxes. I pack between 50 and 100 boxes a day, depending on the product. The work used to be more monotonous—you’d just stand at one machine all the time. Now, one woman oversees several machines, and we have many different products, which makes it more varied. We women also do the final inspection here.

Sure, we have robots here too that do the work for us. There are steps in the process that are so tedious—it’s good when the robot handles them. But for me as a worker, digitalization is naturally also scary. I think it will come down to making sure that people remain part of the work process. We need to strike a healthy balance: What makes our work easier—and what takes it away from us? I don’t think a tax on robots is a bad idea. In any case, we mustn’t let companies shirk their social responsibility.

I’ve been a union member from the very beginning. And I’m a political person. I think it’s important to get involved, especially in social policy. I’m worried about the gap between rich and poor—things are really drifting apart in Germany right now. That’s why collective bargaining agreements are so important. What would our country look like if they didn’t exist? What would happen then? I don’t even want to imagine it. In any case, we feel we’re in good hands with IG Metall.”

(Note: This profile has been slightly abridged for igmetall.de. You can find more information under “Our IG Metall.”)