Socialpost

Complete News World

Deutsche Bahn and the union are negotiating – no strike – economy –

Deutsche Bahn and the union are negotiating – no strike – economy –


Trains continue to run, and there is no new strike at the moment
© APA/EPA

Further strikes have been avoided for now in the collective bargaining dispute between Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers' union GDL. The railways announced on Saturday that the two sides are negotiating again. The negotiations are intense but constructive. The company and union are confident they will reach an agreement next week. Until then, GDL will refrain from further strikes. “Agreement has been reached on several issues,” the railway said.

According to the statement, negotiations are taking place behind closed doors. It was agreed not to reveal the future status of the negotiations. The core of the negotiations recently was the dispute over reducing working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours per week, as requested by GDL, and at the same salary. The railways had previously expressed its willingness to reduce working hours to 36 hours in two steps by 2028 without financial losses. However, GDL President Klaus Weselski did not accept this.

The union has already concluded collective agreements with more than twenty other railway companies stipulating that working hours should be 35 hours per week. However, these are subject to the condition that the Railways also agree to such a deal. Otherwise, existing contracts will be amended accordingly. Wezelski wants to prevent that.

The GDL has already called for industrial action six times in a collective bargaining dispute. Recently, the union resorted to the so-called wave strike, which it announced in a much shorter time than previous strikes. With the resumption of negotiations, the GDL has now committed itself to refrain from further strikes for the duration of the talks.

See also  Laschet's successor: Merz nominated for CDU presidency