Deutsche Bahn: GDL wants to protest in front of headquarters – further strike possible

Initially, a protest march is scheduled in front of Deutsche Bahn headquarters on Tuesday (1.30 pm). Berlin building. The GDL warned last week that “it is a very short time” before the strike comes again. But no concrete new date for the strike has yet been announced.

The GDL, its umbrella organization, the German Officials Association, is calling for the rally. Its chief, Ulrich Silberbach, said on Monday there were likely to be more strikes. According to the police, the Association of Officials registered 75 participants in the march.

Pro Bahn calls for changes to the uniform tariff law

Chef GDL Claus Weselsky He had promised that the passengers would be able to prepare for the strike longer than the first time. At that time, only 15 hours had passed from the announcement to the two-day labor dispute. He also indicated that the next strike may last longer and also include the weekend.

Passenger union Pro Bahn is alarmed by the fact that two unions, the Rail and Transport Association (EVG) and GDL, are likely to strike at rail – both at the expense of customers. So Pro Bahn is calling for changes to be made to the uniform tariff law. We need a regulation on how to deal with two different unions. “There should be no competition between unions,” said the association’s honorary president, Karl Peter Naumann.

GDL has been trying for months to gain new members, including members from the larger EVG. This escalates the wage struggle with the railways to get more money and improve working conditions In addition to.

The background to this is the Uniform Collective Bargaining Act. It states that only in sole proprietorships will the collective bargaining agreement of the union, which represents most of the members there, apply. This is in fact intended to provide an incentive for unions to coordinate collective bargaining policy, as emphasized by the Federal Ministry of Labor.

Naumann, a member of the passenger lobby, thinks this is possible. “Members of the EVG and GDL are working really well together on the work council,” he said. It was suggested that staff have a say in the appointment of collective bargaining committees. These lead collective bargaining, but so far they are union bodies.

“The politicians have to move again here,” Neumann demanded. However, the ministry argued that the Uniform Collective Bargaining Act was not designed to prevent strikes.