2023-10-27 22:05:53
In the first round of collective bargaining between Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers’ union GDL, there are signs of tough negotiations and probably strikes on the rails, possibly even during the Christmas season. This is indicated by the statements made by the state-owned company and the employee organization on Friday, two weeks before the official start of the talks.
Bahn human resources director Martin Seiler brought a kind of arbitration into play. They want to begin negotiations with the union immediately in a “protected space”, closed to the public and with “conflict advisors”. GDL boss Claus Weselsky, who has often appeared as a hardliner in past labor disputes, did not want to get involved in this.
He rejected a peace obligation without strikes and “negotiations in the dark room”. Weselsky made it clear that the involvement of third parties was a step of escalation and that he saw the conflict looming. This means that Deutsche Bahn customers will once again have to expect work outstandings this year.
The current collective agreement with the GDL expires at the end of October. According to the railway, the train drivers’ union is negotiating for 18 of 300 “companies” in the group and thus for around 10,000 of 220,000 employees in Germany. The GDL charges 555 euros more per month. Furthermore, the working hours for shift workers are to be reduced from 38 to 35 hours without a reduction in wages and a four-day week is to be introduced.
In addition, a one-off tax-free inflation bonus of 3,000 euros is required. The term should not exceed twelve months. The comparatively small GDL, which competes with the much larger railway union EVG, also wants to expand its influence in the railway company and also negotiate for the employees of the infrastructure division in this round. The GDL does not yet have any collective agreements there.
“Get out of the conflict spiral”
The collective bargaining negotiations between EVG and Bahn ended at the end of August. The result of the arbitration provides for an increase in salaries by a fixed amount of 410 euros per month in two steps. In addition, there should be a tax-free one-off payment of 2,850 euros with the October salary. There are also special rules for certain professional groups. The collective agreement is scheduled to run until the end of March 2025. In the previous months, the EVG had paralyzed rail traffic in Germany twice with warning strikes. Now it’s the GDL’s turn.
The railway apparently wanted to approach the talks in a more relaxed manner this time than in the past. “Get out of the conflict spiral and into a constructive solution mode,” was the suggestion from Human Resources Director Seiler. He made it clear that the union’s demands were “unfulfillable” and would amount to an increase in personnel costs by more than 50 percent.
The required reduction in working hours with full wage compensation alone would mean that 10,000 more employees would have to be hired. However, even before negotiations began, Seiler held out the prospect of an “advance” in the form of a tax- and duty-free inflation compensation bonus of 1,500 euros. He asked the GDL to respond to this proposal by the end of next week.
Negotiations in the darkroom
Union leader Weselsky reacted much faster than Seiler expected and differently than he had hoped. The railway has not wanted to negotiate at all in the past few weeks. “Now Mr. Seiler is trying to escape to the front and wants to have negotiations take place in the darkroom,” he told the Reuters news agency. He and Seiler are the negotiating partners; conflict advisors are not included. “Anyone who refuses to start negotiations months in advance as part of their obligation to make peace is already laying the foundation for a conflict to arise.”
A comment from Thiemo Heeg Published/Updated: 4 minutes ago Published/Updated: Recommendations: 108 Corinna Budras, Berlin Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 8
Two weeks ago, Weselsky had not ruled out the possibility of a labor dispute during the Christmas holidays. The railway also proposed a “Christmas truce” to the GDL with the negotiation dates. This was rejected because they didn’t know how many negotiations had been going on until then.
Now the GDL boss said that the time until then must be used to find a negotiated solution and that the railway should not delay. A quick strike vote for an indefinite strike could help the union ensure that a possible industrial dispute is legally secure. “Everyone knows in this country that when the railway workers go on strike, things become a little more challenging.” The first round of negotiations is scheduled for November 9th.
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