The Hannover-CEO of the waste disposal company Aha has taken a firm stand against right-wing extremists to influence the company’s works council. After the election of a representative closely aligned with Germany’s AfD to the works council, CEO Julia Fürst described the result as a “wake-up call”. In response, she launched several initiatives aimed at strengthening democratic awareness and engagement within the company.  Among the measures introduced are work camps for trainees that include visits to memorial sites commemorating the crimes of the Nazi regime. According to Fürst, the publicly owned company has a responsibility towards its workforce and wants to create an environment in which employees from around 40 different countries feel safe and respected. To understand why employees voted for the representative, she suggests engaging in open and transparent discussions with staff. She also calls for closer cooperation between companies so they can learn from each other in dealing with such challenges.