Honor for Michael Sommer: Berlin's fighter for justice died

Honor for Michael Sommer: Berlin's fighter for justice died

Berlin, Deutschland - With great grief, the ruling mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, announced the death of Michael Sommer. The former chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) died on Monday night at the age of 73. Wegner praised Sommer as a committed strider for justice that had cultivated a profound connection with Berlin. He emphasized that summer fought tirelessly for the rights of employees and always propagated a lively social partnership. His loss is mourned by both the political and the public community, and Wegner said his condolences to the bereaved, friends and companions.

Sommer was chairman of the DGB between 2002 and 2014 and decisively shaped the German trade union movement. He campaigned for solidarity and justice in the world of work and represented the principle of the unit union. He particularly emphasized the party political independence of the unions, but not their political neutrality. A motto of him was: "You don't have to pass on the ashes, but the fire!"

an influential work

During his term in office, summer fought against the Hartz reforms and the expansion of precarious employment. His most important political success was the enforcement of the general statutory minimum wage, which was introduced one year after it was left. This crucial step is viewed as a historical milestone today. The DGB reports that almost six million employees benefit from the minimum wage today. The introduction of the minimum wage is seen by economists as a success story, especially since there were concerns about the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Sommer was born on January 17, 1952 in Büderich and partially grew up in the orphanage. Already at the age of 19 he joined the German post office in 1971 and took various volunteers. After studying political science, he worked full -time for the postal union from 1980 and became the deputy chairman in 1997. In 2001 he was instrumental in the foundation of the United Service Union Ver.di before he became DGB chairman in 2002 and no longer ran in 2014.

The influence on the world of work

The newly introduced statutory minimum wage had a start level of 8.50 euros in 2015 and has been raised regularly since then. This is currently 12.82 euros, which is a significant improvement for many. The increase in the minimum wage to twelve euros in 2022 was rated by Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil as the greatest increase in wage in life for six million employees. With regard to the future adjustments, the minimum wage commission will be expected to decide on increases for 2026 and 2027 in June.

Sommer was also internationally active; In 2010 he was elected President of the International Trade Union Confederation, where he represented 168 million union members worldwide. The tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bangladesh in 2013 touched him deeply and led to his commitment to a supply chain law.

at a time when social justice and the rights of employees are essential issues, Michael Sommer's legacy remains an important point of reference. The German unions will continue to pursue its path of struggle for justice and solidarity in the world of work. This also underlined Wegner's words that an honorable souvenir of summer must be preserved in order to keep the values ​​for which he will keep in life.