The next strike is looming
How much money do train drivers actually earn?
By Daniel Wüstenberg
November 23, 2023, 1:23 p.m
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Despite a new round of talks between Deutsche Bahn and the GDL, the signs point to strike again. At its core, the conflict is about money. This raises the question of how high train drivers are currently paid.
This article begins with disappointment. You won’t get the one answer here (or anywhere else) as to what train drivers earn at Deutsche Bahn. The reason is simple – and at the same time very complicated: Hardly any payroll for the approximately 20,000 men and women in the driver’s cab is likely to be the same as any other.
The monthly salary is too complex. The framework collective agreement between the GDL and the employers’ association Move provides for a monthly basic salary of 3,127 euros, which increases to 3,825 euros (in each case gross) with greater professional experience. Deutsche Bahn also offers allowances such as Christmas bonuses or bonuses.
However, many train drivers are not members of the GDL, but are members of the larger Railway and Transport Union (EVG). It has negotiated its own collective agreements with Deutsche Bahn, which, among other things, provide for the possibility of forgoing more salary in favor of more free time – this also makes the salaries of the driving staff less comparable. Which collective agreement applies in which part of the widely branched group depends on which members represent the majority.
In both cases, the system is supplemented by a construct made up of dozens of surcharges that come with being a train driver. The trains roll through the country 24 hours a day, 365 days a day, so – as in other industries – there is more money for Sunday or night work, on-call time or additional food costs, for example. But train drivers’ salaries also increase due to certain qualifications, from special foreign language skills to teaching activities. There are also additional benefits such as subsidies for company pension schemes, capital formation benefits or free travel with Deutsche Bahn.
Many train drivers are civil servants
The bottom line is that Deutsche Bahn promises its drivers a salary of between 44,500 and 53,400 euros per year, or around 3,700 to 4,450 euros per month.
This roughly corresponds to the figures determined by independent salary comparison portals such as “kununu.com”. “Most salary figures range between 38,240 and 43,680 euros,” it says (equivalent to around 3,200 to 3,640 euros per month). The average salary of a train driver at Deutsche Bahn is 40,700 euros annually (around 3,400 euros per month).
The system of basic salary, bonuses and allowances based on service experience also affects other (train) staff at Deutsche Bahn. The GDL framework collective agreement for conductors provides for a basic monthly salary of around 2,500 to almost 3,200 euros. According to railway information, the signal box staff can expect a monthly salary of between 3,000 and 4,600 euros.
In addition to the train drivers employed by Deutsche Bahn, there are still thousands of civil servants who control railcars and locomotives in this country. Deutsche Bahn AG took it over from the Deutsche Bundesbahn after it was founded in 1994. They will continue to be paid in accordance with the federal salary regulations. The basic salaries for the middle service are between just under 2,500 and 3,900 euros. This system is also supplemented by allowances and surcharges. The civil service train drivers are not allowed to take part in any further strikes by the GDL – and can at least ensure that an emergency timetable can be maintained.
This text first appeared at stern.de