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Ver.di (Trade Union, Germany)

United Services Union, Vereinigte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft

by Marcus Schmöger, 22 May 2002

Introduction
Description
Vertical variant
Paper flag used May 2002

See also:

ÖTV (Public Services, Transport and Traffic Union / Gewerkschaft Öffentliche Dienste, Transport und Verkehr)
Trade Unions (Germany)
Germany

Introduction

In DGF-Nachrichten [dgf] no. 23, pp. 6-7, I reported on the flag of the German trade union "ver.di", with 3 million members the largest single trade union in the world. A translation of my short report follows.

In spring 2001 five formerly independent trade unions joined together to form the new Vereinigte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (ver.di) or United Services Union. During their fusion congresses on 18 March 2001 the following unions decided their amalgamation as of 2 July 2001:

Deutsche Angestellten-Gewerkschaft (DAG) or German Employees' Union;
Deutsche Postgewerkschaft (DPG) or German Postal Union;
Gewerkschaft Handel, Banken und Versicherungen (hbv) or Trade, Banks and Insurance Union;
Industriegewerkschaft Medien (IG Medien) or Media Industrial Union;
Gewerkschaft Öffentliche Dienste, Transport und Verkehr (ÖTV) or Public Services, Transport and Traffic Union.

Marcus Schmöger, 22 May 2002

Description

The new logo was designed by Hansen Kommunikation. It shows a red square, slightly diagonal, containing the white inscription "ver.di", the dot being black. For demonstrations this logo is also used on flags, for instance during the demonstration on 1st May 2001 in Munich. Both the square and the vertical variants are used; furthermore they use regional variants containing also the city name, for instance Düsseldorf. At least for some time the flags of the five former trade unions would be used, as happened on 1st May 2001 in Munich.

Sources:

author's own observations at the 1st May 2001 and 2002 demonstrations in Munich

Fischer Weltalmanach 2002

ver.di website, especially the logo here

Marcus Schmöger, 22 May 2002

The square flag variant shows a white, not black, dot.

Santiago Dotor, 23 May 2002

Exactly, this is a common variant, perhaps some mistake in production of the flags, or some uncertainty about the exact colours of the new logo.

Marcus Schmöger, 24 May 2002

Vertical variant

by Marcus Schmöger, 22 May 2002

Paper flag used May 2002

by Marcus Schmöger, 22 May 2002

Another variant of the ver.di flag could be seen as a paper flag at the Munich May 2002 demonstration. (...) The paper flag has a size of 148 × 192 mm, slightly smaller than DIN A5 size. I do not think that there are prescribed proportions for the flags of the trade unions.

Marcus Schmöger, 22 and 24 May 2002