In an email to GDL chairman Claus Weselsky, Deutsche Bahn’s human resources director Martin Seiler suggested that negotiations be resumed on Monday at 1 p.m. in Berlin. Deutsche Bahn (DB) agreed “in your presence and in the presence of the moderators immediately on February 26, 2024, to go beyond our pain threshold and to complete the negotiations on the basis of the moderators’ overall proposal,” he said out of.
The two moderators – Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther and the former Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière (both CDU) – had suggested, among other things, reducing weekly working hours to 37 hours from 2026 and further to 36 hours from 2028, both with full wage compensation. This comes very close to the GDL’s core demand, a gradual introduction of the 35-hour week with full wage compensation.
In his response to Seiler, Weselsky emphasized that the DB’s invitation was “not an offer.” He accused the manager of “using the usual DB motto ‘tricks, deception, filling pockets’, to the outside world, to the owner and of course first and foremost to the media representatives, of portraying himself as a collective bargaining party willing to compromise and reach agreement.”
In the email, the GDL listed why it considers the moderator’s suggestion to be unacceptable. In addition to the long term of 30 months, this also included the proposed elimination of the two vacation choice models at DB. That is “not acceptable” – these models are popular with GDL members. A discontinuation of special part-time work in old age from 2028 is also unacceptable.
Ultimately, it is “unacceptable” that the current scope of the GDL collective agreements should remain the same. “This means that the GDL should not conclude any collective agreements for employees in the infrastructure” – this would be the deletion of a core demand of the union, which at the railway is in the shadow of the large rival union EVG.
The GDL has already gone on strike at the railways five times in the current collective bargaining round. Their fifth strike over 35 hours ended on Friday afternoon in passenger traffic.
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) expressed anger during his trip to the USA. “My personal understanding has now really come to an end,” he said on Thursday in Washington. “There has to be a solution now.”
The GDL has already announced a further escalation in the collective bargaining dispute, so-called wave strikes. Unlike before, the GDL no longer wants to announce this 48 hours in advance. The railway would then not be able to set up an emergency timetable for travelers or for freight transport.
Flying was also severely restricted for travelers in Germany on Friday: Due to a strike by Lufthansa ground staff, only around ten to 20 percent of flights could take place on Friday, as on Thursday.
mb/source
