At the Deutsche Bahn (DB), indefinite strikes threaten in the summer with numerous train cancellations. The federal board of the railway and transport union (EVG) decided on Thursday in Berlin to let the members decide by vote. Passengers of Deutsche Bahn and other train operators can face restless weeks.
The collective labor agreement committee of the EVG declared on Wednesday evening that the collective labor agreement negotiations with Deutsche Bahn have failed. She justified the demolition by saying that the salary increase offered by Deutsche Bahn – reportedly 420 euros a month – was too low and too late. The planned contract period of 27 months is “significantly too long”, according to the company.
“Still ready to negotiate”
“We are now going to start preparing for the vote, with all its consequences. This allows for indefinite strikes,” says EVG boss Martin Burkert. “We are still willing to negotiate.” To come to a conclusion, Deutsche Bahn must now “do a good job”. “We are not asking for the impossible. It is our colleagues who ensure that buses and trains run every day despite all the setbacks for which they are not responsible and rightly expect appropriate compensation for this,” says Burkert.
Given the still high inflation, the employees expected a substantial wage increase “immediately”. “In a first step, however, DB AG did not want to pay more than 200 euros more and that only in December.” That was too little and too late. “It is absolutely clear that we will not fully enforce our claim, but we want to get close,” said Burkert.
Warning strikes possible even before voting
The organization of the vote will take several weeks. However, it cannot be ruled out that EVG will put pressure on employers with temporary warning strikes.
The wage dispute has been going on since late February. The EVG entered into talks with the aim of increasing the fixed amount by at least 650 euros per month or twelve percent for the upper pay scales. According to their views, the term should be one year.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
