Short Answer
Participating in an official industrial strike organized by a registered trade union is a constitutionally protected labor right that shields you from contract termination.
Walking out of your workplace to join an unauthorized protest that lacks formal union backing constitutes a direct breach of contract.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You joined an informal, spontaneous walkout arranged by your team colleagues to protest a sudden management decision, assuming all collective actions were legally protected. The company classified the demonstration as an illegal wildcat strike and immediately terminated your contract for unexcused absence from your duties. You lost your primary income stream on the spot and had to pay €3,000 in legal fees attempting to challenge a dismissal that the courts ultimately upheld.
What To Do
- Ask your local union representative to provide the official written strike call (Streikaufruf) document before leaving your desk.
- Open your private email account to register your name on the union's official strike attendance list to secure your strike compensation.
- "Ich nehme an dem von der Gewerkschaft offiziell ausgerufenen Streik teil." (I am participating in the strike officially called by the trade union.) — state this to your manager to clarify your absence.
The Truth
The "Right to Strike" is a constitutional pillar in Germany. Employers might hate the lost productivity, but they know they cannot touch you legally for exercising this right.