Update
No more strikes
GDL announces tariff agreement with the railway
March 25, 2024, 7:07 p.m
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Train travelers can breathe a sigh of relief, especially with the holidays approaching. According to the GDL, there is an agreement in the tariff dispute with Deutsche Bahn. This means there will be no more strikes. Details are to be presented on Tuesday.
The GDL train drivers’ union and Deutsche Bahn have reached an agreement after months of wage disputes, thereby averting further strikes like this one labor union and the group announced. Details will only be announced at separate press conferences on Tuesday morning. After six industrial disputes in the current round of negotiations, a failed moderation and a dispute in court, there have recently been talks again.
The railway invited people to a statement from Human Resources Director Martin Seiler on Tuesday morning in Berlin “on the current status of the collective bargaining agreement with the GDL”. Shortly afterwards, its boss Claus Weselsky will explain details of the agreement on behalf of the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL). Both sides had recently expressed confidence that an early solution to the conflict could be reached.
What the compromise looks like is unclear. The crux of the collective bargaining round from the start was the GDL’s demand for a reduction in weekly working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours while keeping wages and salaries the same. At a previous round of talks, the railway was prepared to agree to 36 hours with full wage compensation in two steps until 2028. The union rejected this. It remains to be seen whether the railway has now completely given in to working hours.
The term of a future collective agreement was also controversial. In addition, the GDL originally demanded 555 euros more per month as well as a tax- and duty-free inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros. The union also wanted to negotiate for infrastructure employees, for whom there are currently no GDL collective agreements. The compromise proposal from the mediators in February envisaged a gradual increase in wages and salaries by 410 euros. There should be 200 euros more on August 1st of this year, 210 more euros on April 1st, 2025. The term of the contract would have been 30 months.
Six industrial disputes – and criticism
The collective bargaining dispute began at the beginning of November. After the second round of negotiations, Weselsky declared the talks had failed and initiated a strike vote on indefinite strikes in December. Industrial disputes broke out in collective bargaining disputes a total of six times.
In addition to hundreds of thousands of commuters and other travelers, industry was also directly affected by the cancellation of freight trains. The railway had criticized the strikes as disproportionate. However, the union was repeatedly proven right in court.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing had brought up possible changes to the law after this collective bargaining conflict ended. “Mr Weselsky continues to overreach,” the FDP politician said in the direction of the GDL.