Tariff agreement in the corona crisis: Bahn employees receive slightly more money

In the first half of the year, Deutsche Bahn made a loss of almost four billion euros. Even so, the staff will soon receive more money. However, significantly less than in previous years. The train drivers are left out.

In the wake of the Corona crisis, Deutsche Bahn and the EVG trade union agreed on the key points of a collective agreement. The core is a wage increase from 2022 in the amount of the inflation rate, as reported by companies and the railway and transport union (EVG). Operational dismissals at the ailing state company are excluded. In addition, Deutsche Bahn wants to continue hiring on a large scale and thus rejuvenate its overaged staff.

The EVG union said that they had reached agreement on numerous points. However, she stressed that essential questions were still open. Above all, the EVG demands that the billions in government aid actually flow. An agreement with the competing train drivers' union GDL is also open.

According to Deutsche Bahn, the new collective agreement should run until February 2023. From January 2022, wages will then rise – depending on the previously determined inflation rate – between 0.5 and 1.5 percent. For lower wage groups, there should be a one-off payment if the inflation rate is below one percent.

EU must approve capital injection

The previous collective agreement expires in February 2021. Apparently there should be no increase until January 2022. Overall, this is significantly less than in previous years. However, EVG, the group and the federal government, as owners, had already agreed on further points as part of an "Alliance for the Railway".

Although the bottom line was that the railway made a loss of 3.7 billion euros in the first half of the year, it is to continue investing and discontinuing. The federal government wants to provide more than five billion euros via a capital injection. The EU still has to agree to this for reasons of competition law. At the same time, the EVG had indicated that moderate demands would be made for future wage increases. The GDL did not participate in the alliance.