Mehrdad Payandeh: From escape to DGB boss in Lower Saxony!

Mehrdad Payandeh: From escape to DGB boss in Lower Saxony!

In a festive ceremony in Hanover, Mehrdad Payandeh was bid farewell after eight years as district chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) for Lower Saxony, Bremen and Saxony-Anhalt. Numerous guests from business and politics came to honor this special moment. Former Prime Minister Stephan Weil described Payandeh as a loyal partner and skilled networker. The DGB federal chairwoman Yasmin Fahimi honored him as a fighter for social justice and participation.

Payandeh, who was born on October 7, 1960 in Abadan, Iran, fled his home country in 1985 wearing only a shirt and jeans. He originally planned to travel on to Denmark, but ended up in East Berlin without speaking a word of German. The German welfare state gave him the support he needed to settle in. He started as a warehouse worker, learned the language and finally became politically active by joining the SPD.

A path full of coincidences

The escape from the authoritarian regime in Iran shaped his life. Politically active for workers' rights, he fought against the dictatorship and the Islamization of the political system. His political aspirations culminated in applying for political asylum in August 1985, after which he was recognized as a political refugee in 1986. From 1985 to 1994 he attended language courses and retrained as a data processing clerk before working as a warehouse worker at Quelle in Nuremberg.

His career took off when he joined the trade, banking and insurance union (HBV, now ver.di) in 1990. Payandeh studied economics from 1994 to 2004 and received his doctorate at the University of Bremen. From 2008 to 2018 he worked in the DGB federal executive board administration in Berlin and headed the economic, financial and tax policy department. He took over the office of district boss in February 2018 and will now hand it over in December due to age reasons, with Ernesto Harder taking over as his successor.

Migrant involvement in trade unions

Payandeh is an example of migrant commitment in German trade unions. The DGB has a long history of supporting migrants who have been actively involved in trade union advocacy. This commitment has changed over the years, although specific challenges such as exploitation and racism in the world of work still exist. The proportion of members with a migrant background in unions such as IG Metall is currently around 22%. They play an important role in raising new questions and representing their concerns, which also reflects Payandeh's career.

At a time when unions are under pressure and collective agreements are being terminated, it is important to continue the fight against racism and for fair representation of the interests of all members, especially migrants. The DGB offers multilingual advice and has set up special migration policy departments to address the needs of this group and strengthen social cohesion.

With his experience and commitment, Payandeh will continue to play an important role in social dialogue, and it remains to be seen what impulses Ernesto Harder will provide as his successor.