Collective bargaining at Deutsche Bahn (DB) will continue on Wednesday in Berlin. This was announced by a DB spokesman. An exact time was not given, only “early afternoon” was mentioned. Both sides agreed on the location of IG Metall in Berlin-Kreuzberg as the place of negotiation.
Deutsche Bahn and the railway and transport union EVG have been negotiating a new collective agreement since the end of February. In the past week, a possible solution to the wage conflict was discussed for five days in a row. Late on Friday evening, both sides then adjourned to the current week. No information was given about the status of the negotiations.
The EVG wants to achieve a fixed salary increase of at least 650 euros per month or twelve percent more for the upper wage groups for a good 180,000 employees at DB. According to their ideas, the term should be twelve months.
Deutsche Bahn had recently promised twelve percent more in several stages for the lower wage groups over a period of 24 months. The middle groups should get a total of ten percent more and the upper groups eight percent. The first stage of the increase should therefore be due this year. In addition, there would be an inflation compensation premium in several payments totaling 2850 euros, which is tax and duty-free.
On Tuesday, the EVG announced that it had concluded new collective agreements with the companies in the Transdev Group. These include, for example, the Bavarian Regiobahn, the Nordwestbahn or Transdev Hanover. According to union information, pay increases totaling EUR 420 per month were agreed in two stages over a period of 21 months for these companies. In addition, there is an inflation compensation premium of 1400 euros. EVG collective bargaining officer Cosima Ingenschay said that the deal also sets standards for talks with Deutsche Bahn. According to the EVG, a good 3,500 employees are affected by the agreement with Transdev.
