- Agreement on a 35-hour workweek reached for Saarbahn
Saarbahn Drivers Get the Option for a 405-hour Bi-annual Work Schedule. The German Train Drivers' Union (GDL), Saarbahn, and the Saar Municipal Employers' Association (KAV Saar) have reached a collective bargaining agreement that includes this option, alongside a 3,000 Euro inflation consideration and the possibility to decrease the standard working hours to 405 hours every half-year, starting in 2026, with a gradual implementation by 2030.
Mario Reiß, deputy federal chairman of the GDL, labeled the 405-hour bi-annual work schedule as "the key to fighting the shortage of skilled workers in the future." Each staff member now has the choice between more personal time or more pay. "This improves the company's appeal," he stated in a press release.
Employers noted that decreasing the standard working hours for shift work poses "unparalleled organizational and operational challenges, eventually leading to financial consequences," for the Saarbahn.
Hand in hand with Saarbahn's manager Karsten Nagel, KAV's chief negotiator Stefan Spaniol highlighted: "The company now bears substantial financial burdens and major organizational challenges, but at least has a multi-year planning certainty and predictability."
The collective bargaining agreement underwent a negotiating round involving the GDL, Saarbahn, and KAV Saar, leading to the inclusion of the 405-hour bi-annual work schedule. The employers acknowledge that implementing this schedule will necessitate significant organizational and financial adjustments.
