Sax Of Confidence Research Paper

Although powerless to help workers, the Trustees of Labor and the Council of Confidence were not entirely powerless. They had the ability the sedate workers. Initially, the members on the Council of Confidence were elected by factory workers. Until they were discontinued in 1936, the elections for members of the Council gave the illusion that workers had some influence over regulation of working conditions. Behind this illusion were serious limitations. People up for election to the Council were selected by members of the party with the approval of the plant leader (91). Councils of Confidence only existed in factories that employed more than twenty workers. In factories that did not employ twenty workers or more, the plant leader – the manager – determined the regulation of working conditions. Larger factories also emphasized the power of management. Councils of Confidence were led by the plant leader. The plant leader was the only …show more content…
In addition to establishing the Council, the DAF placed “factory stewards” in the work place. Rather than making judgements based on the reports of the Councils, the DAF and its organization, the Trustees of Labor, relied heavily on the reports of the factory stewards and their subordinates (Siegal 97-98). These stewards operated as double agents, providing the DAF information while posing as an ordinary worker. Fundamentally, stewards served the same purpose as a Nazi Blockleiter, block leader. Both influenced the outlook of the people they operated amongst and reported the general mood of those people. Ultimately, they influenced whether action was taken. Most importantly, factory stewards could directly oppose the Council of Confidence, including siding with the employer regarding the legitimacy of complaints that members of the Council had launched. Their power could go largely unchecked because they had power over the workers’