2024-08-05 19:00:26
Frustration not only among passengers, but also among the workforce: Internal chats are said to prove that the mood at the railway has probably reached its lowest point.
Internal chats at Deutsche Bahn document the growing anger and despair of many employees. This is reported by the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, citing internal chats that the newspaper is said to have obtained. One of the main reasons for the frustration: the service that employees offer on the trains and at the stations themselves, day after day.
A train attendant describes the situation as “embarrassing” and “a tragedy”. He reports a lack of cooling in trains and a shortage of goods in the on-board bistro, for example on the Berlin-Basel route, and predicts that the thin staffing levels will drive away the last remaining employees.
The insights into the chats show a clear mood: many employees, especially in long-distance transport, are frustrated. The employees are demanding better working conditions, more effective communication and a fairer personnel policy.
They also complain about numerous grievances: for example, there are always broken air conditioning systems in the ICE trains, missing supplies for the on-board catering and poor internal communication. One employee writes: “It gets worse every day and there are fewer and fewer staff on the trains.” The posts show that not only the passengers, but also the company’s own staff are increasingly annoyed by the conditions at Deutsche Bahn.
The situation is further exacerbated by the planned elimination of 30,000 jobs. One employee reacted clearly: “The base has always had to take the blame for this shit.” Employees also write that criticism of operational processes is increasingly unwelcome. Anyone who reveals problems is told that they can look for a new job at the employment agency. “Some people change their tune, others are muzzled or asked to leave,” writes one employee. He is calling for urgent changes, “both inside and outside the company.”