Deutsche Bahn and the railway and transport union EVG are making a new attempt to resolve the collective bargaining dispute. Representatives of both parties met on Tuesday in Fulda in the third round for further negotiations.
Even after two warning strikes with nationwide consequences, there has recently been little progress. The EVG demands at least 650 euros more per month or twelve percent for the upper income groups and a term of twelve months. Deutsche Bahn (DB) wants to orientate itself on the conclusion of the public service from last weekend. The negotiations affect around 180,000 employees of the DB Group.
“Finally, a decent, negotiable offer must be on the table,” said EVG collective bargaining board member Kristian Loroch before the talks began. “We hope that we can finally negotiate and that we can talk about content,” said EVG collective bargaining officer Cosima Ingenschay. She is “semi-confident that movement will come in”.
DB HR Director Martin Seiler emphasized that a result was needed quickly. The employees are waiting for more money, and the passengers are also interested in a quick solution and no further warning strikes.
EVG: Further warning strikes possible
Deutsche Bahn and EVG have been negotiating a new collective agreement since the end of February. It is possible that both sides will continue negotiations on Wednesday. The previous rounds each ended after just a few hours. The EVG recently emphasized that it would consider further warning strikes depending on the outcome of the meeting.
“The public service has negotiated, there is a volume. We are ready to negotiate on this volume specifically for the railways,” said Seiler. “Rail-specific means it’s about finding tailor-made elements for us that ultimately lead to a solution. We’re definitely willing to negotiate an above-average deal with the EVG.”
Before the talks began, dozens of participants at a rally organized by the EVG made it clear with whistles what the outcome of the negotiations they wanted: “What is reasonable? 650!” was large on a banner.
