The trade union ver.di gathered more than 1,000 of its members at its Federal Congress, which takes place in Berlin from September 17 to 22, 2023. This event, which takes place every four years, represents an important occasion for this German trade union and this year it was particularly significant.
During these days, congress delegates debated and voted on issues related to ver.di's positioning politically and socially for the coming years. Highlights included the election of the new ver.di board and the organization's president.
With 92.47 percent of the votes cast, Frank Werneke was elected chair of ver.di and Lisette Hörig became chair of the union council. These leaders will play a key role in shaping the union's course over the next four years.
The congress also tackled the internal organization of ver.di. A congress constitution was drawn up, changes to the statutes for 2019 to 2023 were approved, and an annual report was presented, which formed the basis for the debate.
The congress agenda was diverse and reflected the wide range of challenges and opportunities facing workers in today's world of work. The program began with an opening ceremony and will conclude with intensive consultations on various issues including trade union work, social justice, economic and social change.
Representatives of partner organizations and foreign trade unions were invited to the congress. Among the guests was Maryia Taradzetskaya, a representative of Belarusian independent trade unions, who represented Salidarnast e.V.
The deputy chairman of Salidarnast e.V. talked to the trade union press and told about the work of the organization. Personal conversations with representatives of German Ver.di, Ukrainian «Atomprofspilki», French CFDT and Swedish Kommunal touched upon the situation of workers' rights in Belarus and the destruction of independent trade unions by Lukashenko's regime.
The ver.di Federal Congress will conclude on September 22 with a renewed leadership team and a clear strategy for the future. The event demonstrated how trade unions continue to play an important role in today's society, defending workers' interests and solidarizing with colleagues in other countries.