First they came for the Trade Unionists

[Big Don]

Which is true, however,
They came for the trade unionists NOT to eliminate, but TO CONSOLIDATE.

Soon after the NSDAP came to power in 1933, all trade unions and worker organizations were declared illegal and the DAF was setup in their place as the sole labour organization of the German Reich. The concept of the DAF was to ensure the political stability and smooth operations of all German industry and commerce. It was through the use of mass organization, much like all other NSDAP-era organizations, that labour was to be formed into a single militarized group where "...a certain amount of well supervised misery, combined with daily work begun with drums beating and ended with drums beating..." would be used to solidify the labour front of the German Nation.

Membership in the DAF was voluntary, but any person who was a worker in any area of German industry or commerce more-or-less was a member by default. Membership dues were given in the range of 15 Pfenning to 3 RM, depending on the catagory a member fell into in the large scale of 20 membership groups. A substantial amount of money was raised through dues, in 1934, the total intake was 300,000,000 RM.

The DAF was composed of two main areas, the Nationalsozialistische Betriebsorganization, National Socialist Factory Organization (NSBO) and the Nationalsozialistische Handels und Gewerbeorganization, or Natational Socialist Trade and Industry Organization (NSHABO).

[Big Don]

Making a bigger union is hardly wiping out unions...