Avert another train driver strike
Bahn invites GDL to new talks – train drivers give an ultimatum
March 8, 2024, 12:03 p.m
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A few hours before the end of the new train drivers’ strike, the railways invited the union to new negotiations. The basis should be the suggestion of the two moderators, which the GDL recently rejected. That’s why she reacts coolly to the invitation: There will be no talks without a new offer.
Deutsche Bahn has invited the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) to new collective bargaining negotiations on Monday. The basis should be the proposal of the two moderators, which they presented in the round of negotiations that failed last week, as the railway announced. Bahn personnel director Martin Seiler made the suggestion in an email to GDL chairman Claus Weselsky. The GDL reacted with an ultimatum. They only want to return to the negotiating table if there is a new offer. That’s why the company was asked to “submit a written offer by 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, in the interests of its employees and passengers,” the union said. In this case, the GDL is ready to negotiate on Monday and wants to avoid further strikes.
In the letter, Deutsche Bahn’s human resources director Martin Seiler suggests that negotiations be resumed on Monday at 1 p.m. in Berlin. Seiler emphasized that the railway did not reject the two moderators’ proposal, contrary to what the GDL stated. “Rather, in your presence and in the presence of the moderators, we agreed immediately on February 26, 2024 to go beyond our pain threshold and to complete the negotiations on the basis of the moderators’ overall proposal.”
“The wording alone ‘based on the moderators’ overall proposal of February 26, 2024 to complete the negotiations’ is not an offer,” explained Weselsky. The GDL boss accused Seiler that the invitation was once again an attempt “under the DB’s usual motto ‘tricks, deception, filling pockets’, to the outside world, to the owner and of course first and foremost to the media representatives. to present itself as a collective bargaining party willing to compromise and reach agreement”. The railway has not submitted a new offer since January 19th and the offer presented at that time was “not sufficient”.
GDL rejects compromise proposal
The two moderators – Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther and the former Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière – had suggested, among other things, reducing weekly working hours to 37 hours from 2026 and further to 36 hours from 2028, both with full wage compensation. This comes very close to the GDL’s core demand, a gradual introduction of the 35-hour week with full wage compensation. However, Weselsky rejected this – and, after initially misrepresenting the proposal, made further points that the union could not agree to.
In the email to Seiler, the GDL lists what it considers unacceptable: This includes, among other things, the proposed term of 30 months. The elimination of the two vacation choice models is also “unacceptable” – these models are popular with GDL members. The claim to a “single free weekend a month” is “softened” in the moderator’s proposal.
The current 35-hour strike on rail passenger traffic is scheduled to end at 1 p.m. at noon. It was the fifth strike by train drivers in the current round of collective bargaining. The railway activated an emergency plan so that, according to its information, around one in five long-distance trains could run. The usual timetable will apply again from Saturday morning.
GDL boss Weselsky recently announced so-called wave strikes and emphasized that the union would not announce them 48 hours in advance, as was previously the case. But both the beginning and the end are named, he said. Deutsche Bahn is already warning that it will no longer be able to offer basic services in the event of such strikes. This puts the German railway system at massive risk.