The railway company Transdev and the train drivers’ union GDL have reached a collective agreement. As the union announced, both sides agreed to gradually reduce working hours for shift workers while maintaining the same salary.
These employees will still have to work 35 hours per week from January 1, 2028. “Employees who still want to work more can do so for a pro rata fee,” said the GDL. The regulation is subject to the condition that Deutsche Bahn also agrees to such a reduction in working hours in its negotiations with the GDL.
Where does Transdev go?
Transdev is the second largest railway company in Germany after Deutsche Bahn. The collective bargaining agreement applies to GDL members at NordWestBahn, Transdev Hannover, Transdev Mitteldeutschland, Transdev Regio Ost, Transdev Rhein-Ruhr and Trans Regio. In addition to the reduction in working hours, according to Transdev, two wage increases of 210 euros each were agreed from March 1st and December 1st. The collective agreement agreed on Saturday is valid until the end of June 2025.
The GDL has gone on strike with Transdev several times in the past few weeks. In its press release on the collective agreement, the company made it clear that the agreement was primarily intended to prevent further labor disputes. “In view of the economic consequences for the Transdev operations and also in the interests of the passengers, no further strikes could be risked,” the company said.
The collective agreements now reached presented the Transdev companies and the entire industry with enormous economic challenges. “The economic consequences of reducing working hours, without alleviating the financial burden, cannot yet be foreseen for the Transdev companies as well as for the entire industry in the medium and long term,” it said.
There is no end in sight at DB
The GDL is still negotiating new tariffs with Deutsche Bahn. A peace obligation applies until March 3rd; the union does not want to strike during this time. Both sides have set themselves the goal of reaching a conclusion by then. There is currently no communication about interim statuses.
