Deutsche Bahn and GDL: What are the GDL prepare drivers demanding? | EUROtoday

Die GDL calls, amongst different issues, for a common wage enhance of 555 euros, and allowances also needs to be elevated by 25 p.c. The weekly working hours of shift employees also needs to be diminished from 38 to 35 hours – with the identical wages. The union can also be calling for an inflation compensation bonus of three,000 euros for full- and part-time workers and 1,500 euros for trainees. The coaching allowance ought to enhance by at the least 324 euros and be equalized throughout all railways. There are additionally different calls for, comparable to a rise within the employer’s share of firm pension schemes to 5 p.c. The new collective settlement ought to then run for twelve months.

The essential sticking level is the discount in working hours – the GDL has now proven itself to be prepared to compromise right here. “You could start around 2025 and gradually reduce weekly working hours from 38 to 35 hours by 2028,” mentioned GDL boss Claus Weselsky. The GDL had reached an analogous settlement with DB competitor Netinera. Working hours there ought to be diminished to 35 hours over this era.

In the primary spherical of collective bargaining, the railway offered its personal supply: Essentially, it supplied eleven p.c extra wages for a time period of 32 months. The quantity corresponds to the collective bargaining settlement of the federal public service, it was mentioned. She additionally promised a tax- and duty-free inflation compensation bonus of two,850 euros.

The railway considers the union’s 35 calls for to be unattainable to meet. She had introduced this earlier than the negotiations. They would imply 50 p.c extra personnel prices. Ten p.c extra workers must be employed, mentioned DB Human Resources Director Martin Seiler. “That’s simply quixotic in the current job market.” The GDL, which was already indefinite earlier than the negotiations A strike
introduced into play, he criticizes. “Anyone who makes such massive and complex demands must give solutions time and a chance, especially with our passengers in mind.”

The railway needs to “get out of the spiral of conflict,” mentioned Seiler. The firm needed to barter in a “protected space” till at the least after the Christmas holidays – behind closed doorways and with out strikes, accompanied by “experienced” battle mediators. The GDL rejected this.

On November twenty fourth, GDL boss Weselsky declared the collective bargaining had failed. So far there have been two Warning strikes held. There might be longer strikes in January, as a result of the GDL has let its members vote on indefinite strikes in a strike vote.

For a very long time there was nice worry amongst rail vacationers that there may very well be strikes at Christmas. GDL boss Weselsky has now dominated this out – albeit after a lot hesitation. However, the strikes are anticipated to be even longer from January. The members of the GDL voted in favor of indefinite strikes. “From January 8th you should expect longer labor disputes,” mentioned Weselsky Augsburg General. “We will break the blockade of the railway,” he introduced.

From a purely authorized perspective, warning strikes and indefinite strikes don’t differ considerably. Warning strikes are normally quick and restricted in time and house. They are permitted throughout collective bargaining and require a previous strike name from the related union.

For indefinite strikes, so-called pressured strikes, the union should maintain a strike vote. Indefinite strikes are the unions’ final resort in a collective bargaining dispute – and are due to this fact normally solely used after negotiations have been declared to have failed. During a strike vote, union members are requested whether or not they’re prepared to cease work to satisfy union calls for. In most instances, at the least 75 p.c of members should comply with the strike.

The railway solely reached an settlement with the EVG on the finish of August – after a protracted battle with a number of strikes. The results of the negotiations, which lasted greater than six months, was a wage enhance in two steps of 410 euros monthly and an inflation adjustment in October of two,850 euros. The new collective settlement has a time period of 25 months.

The Unified Tariff Act has been in impact on the railway for the reason that starting of 2021. This regulates which collective settlement is used by which firm. It decides which union has probably the most members in these firms. This union’s collective settlement then applies to all firm workers, no matter whether or not they’re members or not.

The EVG is clearly forward right here. Your contracts apply in line with the German prepare for round 180,000 workers, the GDL just for round 10,000 workers in 18 firms. The collective bargaining battle with the railway can also be an influence wrestle with the competing EVG for members and affect.

When it involves wage calls for, the 2 unions are usually not far aside, however the GDL additionally calls for a shortened working week. It is unattainable to foretell how the talks will finish. What is for certain, nonetheless, is that rail vacationers can solely count on a strike-free interval after the negotiations have ended – and these can take a very long time. This was proven by the collective bargaining spherical with EVG this 12 months.

In addition to the negotiations with the railways, the GDL is, amongst different issues, advocating a suspension of the Unified Collective Bargaining Act.

Weselsky made one other “declaration of war” towards Deutsche Bahn, as he himself mentioned, in June when he co-founded the Fair Train e. G. launched. As a short lived employment company, it’s supposed to create higher situations for prepare drivers – and poach them from the railway with the intention to then rent them out once more to them and different railway firms. Only GDL members can change into cooperative members.