Reaction to DB “sham offer”
GDL calls for a new, six-day strike
January 22, 2024, 2:28 a.m
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There is already a threat of standstill on Germany’s railways. The German Locomotive Drivers Union is not at all satisfied with the latest offer from Deutsche Bahn. The GDL members are therefore once again asked to stop their work.
In the collective bargaining dispute with Deutsche Bahn, the train drivers’ union GDL has called for a new, six-day strike. The industrial action should begin on Wednesday night at 2 a.m. and last until Monday evening at 6 p.m. next week, the GDL explained during the night. At DB Cargo, which is responsible for freight transport, the strike is scheduled to begin on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.
“With the third and supposedly improved offer, Deutsche Bahn AG has once again shown that it is undeterred in pursuing its previous course of refusal and confrontation – there is no trace of any desire to reach agreement,” explained the GDL. The union announced a press conference this morning to explain its decision.
The now announced industrial action would be the fourth in the ongoing collective bargaining dispute. Before the turn of the year, the GDL paralyzed large parts of passenger traffic in two warning strikes, followed in January by a three-day strike with a similar effect. DB human resources director Martin Seiler criticized on Friday that the GDL did not use strikes as a last resort, but rather as a means of self-promotion.
Bahn considers the demand to be unfulfillable
The railway’s offer presented on Friday provides 4.8 percent more money for employees from August and a further 5 percent more from April 2025. In addition, payment of the inflation compensation premium is planned immediately after a possible collective bargaining agreement. According to the DB offer, the term should be 32 months.
The railway is also offering train drivers and train attendants the opportunity to reduce their working hours from 38 to 37 hours with the same salary from January 1, 2026. According to the offer, anyone who decides against the reduction will instead receive 2.7 percent more money. In total, the employees who stick with their current working hours received 13 percent more gross money with the offer than they do now. The GDL spoke of a “sham offer from the DB”.
The union is demanding 555 euros more per month as well as an inflation compensation bonus for a 12-month term. According to public statements, the GDL believes it is much more important to reduce working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours per week with full wage compensation. The railway considers the demand to be unfulfillable on this scale, also because too many new staff would then be needed. There is already a shortage of skilled workers among train drivers and other railway professions.
The collective bargaining conflict between the railways and the GDL has been going on since the beginning of November. The GDL declared the talks to have failed after the second round of negotiations. There have been no negotiations since November 24th. After a strike vote among the GDL members, indefinite strikes are also possible.