In the collective bargaining arbitration proceedings at Deutsche Bahn, the railway and transport union (EVG) expects a proposal from the external mediators by the end of this week. “The arbitrators want to present their results on Friday, then we will discuss a recommendation for the members in the federal executive board and start the ballot in August,” said union boss Martin Burkert of the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. On request, Deutsche Bahn did not comment on the timetables today. Both sides had actually agreed not to disclose anything during the arbitration phase. Burkert did not comment on the content.
The union is currently writing a letter to all of the approximately 180,000 affected railway employees for the ballot on the arbitration proposal, Burkert said. “Because of the holidays, the whole process will last until August 31.” It was the first ballot at the EVG in 30 years. The union has ruled out warning strikes for the time of the arbitration and also for the weeks of the subsequent ballot. However, if the members reject the proposal of the external mediators in the collective bargaining dispute, indefinite strikes are possible.
The arbitration has been running since mid-June. Several months of collective bargaining had previously failed. The EVG has appointed labor lawyer Heide Pfarr (SPD) as mediator. Former Defense and Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière (CDU) arbitrates for the railways. The EVG started the collective bargaining round with demands for at least 650 euros more per month, or twelve percent for the upper salary groups.
What was Deutsche Bahn’s last suggestion?
The most recently announced Deutsche Bahn proposal, on the other hand, included a gradual increase of a total of twelve percent for the lower, ten percent for the middle and eight percent for the upper income groups. Above all, there was disagreement about the term: DB wanted to implement 27 months, EVG had originally aimed for a term of 12 months.
“The decisive factor is that employees need a really significant increase in view of inflation,” said Burkert in the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. “Otherwise the shortage of workers at the railways will become an ever greater problem.”
If the arbitration talks are successful, passengers can at least breathe a sigh of relief until autumn. There will then no longer be a threat of warning strikes or strikes by the EVG in rail traffic. However, the next collective bargaining negotiations with the smaller Union of German Locomotive Drivers (GDL), which competes with the EVG in the railway company for influence and members, are due in autumn. The peace obligation ends in early November.
