In the third round, Deutsche Bahn and the railway and transport union (EVG) are fighting today in Fulda for more money for the approximately 180,000 group employees. After weeks of banter and several warning strikes, the outcome of the talks is completely open. It is also unclear when they will end. It could also be further negotiated on Wednesday.
Last Friday, the EVG largely brought long-distance and regional traffic to a standstill for several hours. If the talks fail, the union has already promised further action. Concrete plans were not initially known.
Deutsche Bahn has announced that an offer will be based primarily on the collective bargaining agreement for the public sector, which the Verdi union and the civil servants’ association dbb negotiated with the federal and local governments last weekend. Among other things, this provides for a tax and duty-free inflation compensation premium totaling 3,000 euros, which is to be paid out in stages. From February there should be at least 340 euros gross more per month for all employees.
So far no substantive discussions
In the collective bargaining conflict with the railways and around 50 other railway companies, the EVG is demanding at least 650 euros more per month or twelve percent for the upper income earners and a term of twelve months. However, the union rejects an orientation towards the public service. “The EVG is negotiating on the basis of its demands,” said negotiator Kristian Loroch again on Monday. The degree in public service is not relevant for any of the companies with which the EVG is currently negotiating.
Despite two rounds of negotiations, both sides have not yet held any substantive talks. The union had initially requested a written offer from the railways and a clarification of the minimum wage issue before the content was negotiated. The railways, in turn, want to talk about individual points at the negotiating table. “They always ask for a written offer in advance,” criticized Bahn HR director Martin Seiler in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” at the weekend. “But I’ll tell you in all honesty: You don’t get results with pen pals.”
Both sides should now actually lock themselves in and negotiate until there is a result. “We would be willing to do so until white smoke rises,” said Seiler. However, it remains questionable whether that will already be the case this Tuesday. “It will be a tough piece of work to adjust the standards in the second round of negotiations on Tuesday,” said EVG collective bargaining board Loroch beforehand.
