Since this Monday, external arbitrators have been mediating in the deadlocked collective bargaining dispute at Deutsche Bahn. Both sides confirmed the start in the afternoon, but did not comment on the exact start or location. Confidentiality has also been agreed on all other details.
It is scheduled for around two weeks until July 31st. Then the railway and transport union (EVG) wants to have its members vote on the result of the arbitration by ballot. The EVG has appointed labor lawyer Heide Pfarr (SPD) as mediator. Former Defense and Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière (CDU) arbitrates for the railways.
By the end of the ballot at the end of August, the EVG had ruled out further strikes on the rails. However, union boss Martin Burkert emphasized on Monday that the workers would be willing to go on strike if the arbitration did not lead to a result. “We can hold out a strike for a very long time,” he told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. “In the end we will be successful, I am very sure of that. We are very serious.”
Collective bargaining began at the end of February and collapsed at the end of June. Both sides then agreed to arbitration in order to reach a new collective agreement without further industrial action. The EVG nominated employment lawyer Pfarr as arbitrator, the former Interior Minister de Maizière is there at the request of the DB Group.
The EVG was involved in the collective bargaining with the demand for 650 euros more per month for 180,000 DB employees, the term should be 12 months according to the union idea. Deutsche Bahn was recently willing to pay a total of 400 euros more per month in two stages, but for a period of 27 months. In addition, there should be an inflation compensation premium of 2850 euros. The union rejected the package because they are not satisfied with the long duration and timing of the fixed fee increases.
