German Trade Union Confederation | Michael Sommer dies

Berlin. Former DGB head Michael Sommer has died at the age of 73. This was announced by the German Trade Union Confederation in Berlin. Sommer served as chairman from 2002 to 2014. "We are losing a great trade unionist," the trade union confederation declared. Sommer significantly shaped the fortunes of the German trade union movement and tirelessly campaigned for solidarity and justice. "Michael Sommer was one of us, heart and soul," the DGB emphasized.

During his term in office, he fought, among other things, against the Hartz reforms of the then federal government under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) and against the expansion of precarious employment. Sommer's greatest success, the DGB further stated, was the implementation of the general statutory minimum wage. This was introduced on January 1, 2015.

Sommer was born on January 17, 1952, in Büderich near Düsseldorf and grew up, according to reports, for a time in an orphanage. In 1971, at the age of 19, he joined the German Postal Workers' Union (DPG). After studying political science at the Free University of Berlin, Sommer became a full-time trade unionist in the postal workers' union, which later merged into the Verdi trade union. In 2002, he succeeded the outgoing DGB chairman Dieter Schulte. For a time, Sommer also served as president of the International Trade Union Confederation, which has 168 million members worldwide. In 2014, he handed over the reins to his successor, Reiner Hoffmann. The trade unionist emphasized at the time that he was voluntarily stepping down as leader after twelve years. Before that, he had not only undergone stomach and gallbladder surgery, but had also donated a kidney to his wife. In retirement, he appeared less frequently.

The DGB recalled Sommer's principles and his fundamental conviction: "We are politically independent, but not politically neutral." He often quoted the appeal of trade unionist Wilhelm Leuschner: "Create unity" – thus opposing ideological disputes within the ranks of the unions. dpa/nd