Union demands intervention from Wissing
GDL causes trouble with wave strike threat
March 4, 2024, 8:42 p.m
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The train drivers’ union announces a 35-hour strike. After that it will continue in waves, without prior notice. Union and Pro Bahn demand that Transport Minister Wissing intervene. GDL boss Weselsky prohibits any interference.
After the train drivers’ union GDL announced a new strike in the collective bargaining dispute with Deutsche Bahn, CDU transport expert Christopher Ploß called on Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing to take action. Ploß told the newspapers of the Funke media group that the long-term strikes were putting a massive strain on people and the economy. Things can’t go on like this: “Volker Wissing must finally put his words into action and make the issue a top priority. I expect Volker Wissing to bring both parties to his table in the ministry today,” demanded Ploß. The CDU domestic politician Philipp Amthor also called for new rules for collective bargaining disputes in order to avoid disproportionate strikes. In the ntv program #beisenherz, Amthor said: “We see that strikes are always and immediately resorted to and that the unions very often accept the possibility of launching disproportionate strikes in the expectation that the courts will then stop them .”
CSU General Secretary Martin Huber accused the GDL of abusing the right to strike. “It is indecent, irresponsible and shameless to speak openly as a union leader in these times that the aim of the strike is chaos and a lack of planning,” said Huber in Munich. Therefore, strikes should have to be announced in advance, especially in the case of critical infrastructure, they must be limited in time and an arbitration procedure – albeit unsuccessful – must have taken place in advance. “The way it’s happening here now is obviously an abuse of the right to strike, which serves the union boss’s own selfishness rather than improving the situation.”
Pro Bahn blames both sides
The Pro Bahn passenger association also called for politicians to intervene and made serious accusations on both sides. “The collective bargaining partners are currently destroying the transport transition,” said Pro-Bahn boss Detlef Neuß to the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post”. “What’s going on now can no longer be conveyed to passengers.” Despite the legal autonomy in collective bargaining, it is now time for politicians to take action. “The federal government owns the railway. That’s why it has a duty to intervene.”
In the morning, the GDL announced a new, 35-hour strike on passenger transport starting at 2 a.m. on Thursday morning. This will be followed by so-called wave strikes, which the GDL will no longer announce at least 48 hours in advance, as was previously the case. “This means that the railway is no longer a reliable means of transport,” said Weselsky this morning.
Bahn calls GDL demands “unfulfillable”
Deutsche Bahn criticized the planned wave strikes as a “blatant imposition” on its passengers. Human resources manager Martin Seiler said that there had never been any strikes of this kind at the railway. Preparations would then no longer be possible. The union is “stubbornly and selfishly” insisting on its maximum demands, explained the railway manager. However, these are “unfulfillable and pose a massive threat to the railway system”. Seiler emphasized that he was “ready to talk at any time” – but solutions in collective bargaining must be “feasible and realizable”. He fears a massive shortage of staff if working hours are reduced too much.
The GDL calls for the gradual introduction of the 35-hour week by 2028 with wage compensation for shift workers and the employee’s right to vote. According to Seiler, the railway offered to reduce weekly working hours by one hour from 2026 and a further half hour as part of an optional model – but according to the GDL without wage compensation.
Both sides have been negotiating behind closed doors since the beginning of February and with the support of two moderators – the former Interior and Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière for the railway and Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther (both CDU) for the GDL. According to Seiler, they proposed as a compromise a reduction in weekly working hours to 37 hours from 2026 and to 36 hours from 2028.
“More appearance than reality”
The railway was prepared to continue negotiating an overall package on this basis, said Seiler. The GDL rejected this. On Thursday last week, the union declared the negotiations had failed. She accused the railway on Monday of having “never been” solution-oriented. “The supposedly enormous concessions” are “more appearance than reality.”
Collective bargaining began at the beginning of November. By the end of January, however, there had been hardly any negotiations, but there had been four strikes. The last industrial action to date at the end of January was scheduled for six days and would have been the longest GDL strike on the railway to date. The strike was ended early after five days.
Weselsky rejected another attempt at mediation with political moderators. He also expressed sharp criticism of Transport Minister Wissing. Last week, the FDP politician warned of security risks from further strikes and at least indirectly blamed the GDL and its “insistence on maximum positions” for the messy situation.
Weselsky insists on collective bargaining autonomy
Wissing should respect the statutory tariff autonomy and rather take care of the railway infrastructure, said Weselsky. Instead, he just watches how things get worse. As the owner of the railway, the transport minister also has to “discipline” the railway board, which is “sacking millions in bonuses” and at the same time tell the train drivers that they have to “tighten their belts”.
The Ministry of Transport explained that shortly after taking office, Wissing presented a strategy to get the railway back on track. “In this budget round alone, we were able to raise more than 30 billion euros of the forecast additional requirements and are continuing to work to provide the funds necessary for rail.” Regarding the tariff dispute, the FDP politician said that collective bargaining autonomy was a valuable asset. But it doesn’t follow from this that everything is allowed.