The German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) has declared that collective negotiations with the railways have failed (see video above). She announced new warning actions on Friday. During the last warning strike, Austria was also affected as cross-border night trains were canceled.
There are currently no compromises to be found with employers, says GDL boss Claus Weselsky. He announced that the union would strike again. However, he initially did not mention exact dates for possible warning attacks. The vote among GDL members on indefinite strikes is still ongoing; the results are expected at the end of December. 75 percent of the votes are needed if the union is to be able to use indefinite strikes as leverage in the collective labor agreement negotiation dispute.
Collective bargaining started two weeks ago. A week ago there was a twenty-hour strike throughout Germany. As a result, 80 percent of actually planned long-distance trips were canceled. In regional transport, the effects were even greater in some states.
Shorter working hours, higher pay
The GDL demands 555 euros more per month and an inflation compensation bonus for employees. In addition, the weekly working hours for shift workers must be reduced from 38 to 35 hours per week with full wage compensation. Deutsche Bahn has so far offered an eleven percent pay increase for a period of 32 months, as well as the required inflation compensation bonus.
DB Human Resources director Martin Seiler believes that reducing weekly working hours is not feasible. With fewer working hours per week, more workers are needed, which are difficult to find in times of skilled labor shortages. GDL boss Weselsky states that railway jobs would become more attractive with fewer hours per week.
10,000 employees affected
The GDL has threatened strikes several times. Before the negotiations started, Deutsche Bahn suggested using mediators in the talks. Weselsky rejected this suggestion. The negotiated collective labor agreements will apply to approximately 10,000 employees. By comparison, the rail and transport union EVG negotiated new collective labor agreements for approximately 180,000 Deutsche Bahn employees in the spring and summer.
The GDL primarily represents operators and operators. That is why it can disrupt train traffic throughout Germany with strikes.
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.
