New model for working hours
Deutsche Bahn makes GDL a new offer
January 19, 2024, 11:56 a.m
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The reduction in working hours is a sticking point in the collective bargaining between Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers’ union GDL. In addition, GDL boss Weselsky is calling for a collective agreement for dispatchers and had threatened an indefinite strike. Now the railway has presented a new offer.
Deutsche Bahn has submitted a new offer in the collective bargaining dispute with the train drivers’ union GDL. The company offers the union, among other things, another choice model for working hours. DB human resources director Martin Seiler said that under the offer, employees could choose to work one hour less with full pay from January 1, 2026. Anyone who decides against the reduction will receive 2.7 percent more money. In total, the employees in this case received almost 13 percent more pay from January 1, 2026 than currently. The election model from January 1, 2026 is aimed at train drivers and train crew.
The railway and the GDL have been in a collective bargaining dispute since the beginning of November. The GDL declared the talks to have failed after the second round of negotiations and called for two warning strikes. After a strike vote among members on indefinite strikes, work was stopped for three days in a row. The three labor disputes always caused thousands of train cancellations in passenger transport and long backlogs in freight transport.
A week ago, GDL boss Claus Weselsky threatened to call for a longer strike again if the railway did not submit an offer that included a reduction in working hours with full wage compensation. The collective bargaining dispute recently revolved almost exclusively around this union demand. During the negotiations, the GDL wants to achieve a reduction in weekly working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours with full wage compensation. The railway has so far rejected this demand and described it as unfulfillable.
The company argues that with fewer working hours, more staff are needed – but that cannot be found in the tight labor market. The GDL, in turn, sees fewer working hours as a suitable measure to make rail careers more attractive.
Stuck conflict
During the course of the conflict, the company offered to expand existing working time models. Up to now, employees can decide whether they want more money, more vacation or fewer working days per week. For example, you can reduce your working hours from 39 to 37 hours per week, but you will receive 5.7 percent less pay.
The railway now offered to be able to reduce the weekly working hours in this mode to 35 hours. If you want, you could also work up to 40 hours a week for a little more money. Anyone who decides to work shorter hours will have to compromise on a collectively agreed wage increase, emphasized the railway. The GDL did not see this as a negotiable offer.
The financial demands of the GDL recently fell completely behind the working time debate. The GDL is demanding 555 euros more per month as well as an inflation compensation bonus if the collective agreement runs for 12 months. The railway had offered eleven percent higher fees for a term of 32 months as well as the inflation compensation bonus.