Union of Mining and Energy

The Union of Mining and Energy (German: IG Bergbau und Energie, IGBE) was a trade union in West Germany which existed from 1946 until 1997.

[1] The union was founded in 1946, covering only the British Occupation Zone.

From 1948, it began covering the mining industry in the whole of West Germany and adopted the name IG Bergbau.

[2] In 1990, the East German Wismut Industrial Union, representing uranium miners, merged into IGBE.

[3] By 1996, the union had 335,317 members, but 49% of these were not active - either retired or unemployed.