- In the video: Rail traffic paralyzed for three days: What you need to know
The GDL members are on strike on rail traffic in Germany until Friday. Long-distance transport is affected, and in some cases local transport and regional S-Bahn trains are also affected. Maybe it won’t stay that way, because the GDL’s demands are tough. And the union leadership rejected the railway’s previous offers as “inadequate”.
But what are the demands? The union is calling for a “general wage increase” of 555 euros, a “significant increase in training allowances of at least 324 euros,” and tax- and duty-free inflation compensation for all full- and part-time employees of 3,000 euros. Trainees should receive 1,500 euros. In addition, the weekly working hours for everyone should be reduced to 35 hours.
The railway is apparently prepared to respond to the GDL’s financial demands – at least “in essence”, as the company announced. But the sticking point remains the reduction in working hours. The railway’s counterproposal stipulates that shift workers can reduce their working hours. However, that would have an impact on your salary. So far, a reduction from 39 to 37 hours is possible. The wage then falls by 5.7 percent. The railway now also wants to allow employees to only work 35 hours per week if they accept a loss in wages.
How much does a train driver earn on the railway?
“Depending on professional experience and work in international transport or as a trainer, a train driver earns between 44,500 and 53,400 euros gross per year, including allowances and Christmas bonuses,” says a railway job profile. This corresponds to a gross monthly salary of between 3,700 euros and 4,450 euros. If the GDL wishes, the gross salary would rise to between 4,250 euros and just over 5,000 euros per month.
But there are important differences. The wages are based on length of service, hours worked and type of activity. Train drivers can be deployed nationally and internationally, become masters or specialists in railway operations, dispatchers, managers, trainers or trainers. This means that salaries are assigned to different tariff groups.
Trainees usually receive between 1,020 euros and 1,230 euros per month, plus a Christmas bonus in the form of a 13th monthly training allowance. During functional training, a future train driver earns around 2,650 euros per month, as well as bonuses for night, weekend or holiday work.
The job is actually not easy. Many train drivers are under pressure. They are not only responsible for transporting passengers, but also have to quickly identify dangers and disruptions. This is one of the reasons why a suitability assessment is carried out by a company doctor every three years. Older employees even have to carry out these examinations every year. The psycho-physical performance is determined.
Applied today, get a job straight away?
Possible. There is also a shortage of skilled workers at the railways. As a rule, it only takes a few days from the time you apply before you are invited to an interview. As a rule, trainees receive a permanent permanent position immediately after their training.
Lateral entrants must first complete the three-year training course. Anyone who has already completed at least some technical vocational training can immediately start working as a locomotive driver after just one year of so-called functional training.
Are the train drivers’ demands justified?
Converted, the wages of locomotive drivers have not developed particularly significantly in recent years and compared to other professional groups. On average, the wage increase over the past ten years is a good 20 percent, said the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) in an interview with “Welt Online” . The wage increases for locomotive drivers were below the average Nominal wages according to the Federal Statistical Office . If you add the GDL’s current wage demands and the reduction in working hours, this corresponds to a wage adjustment of around 50 percent, according to them German railway.
How could the dispute between GDL and Bahn end?
The GDL apparently wants to exceed the collective bargaining agreement between the railways and the EVG. After several rounds of strikes and arbitration, EVG reached an agreement with the railway last year. After that, there will be a wage increase in two stages (December 2023 and August 2024) and the payment of a tax-free one Inflation compensation of 2850 euros . According to their own information, the average wage increases by a little more than 440 euros.