On Friday, November 24, 2023, the German Train Engineers' Union (GDL) announced a strike as the heated dispute over wages and working conditions for railway workers took a more dramatic turn. GDL Chairman Klaus Weselski declared the failure of negotiations.
The German train drivers' union announces strike
The second round of talks with Deutsche Bahn took place in Berlin on Thursday and Friday morning, but both sides failed to make significant progress. According to Weselski, a compromise with the employers is currently elusive.
He announced that the union would again declare a nationwide warning strike but did not specify the exact dates.
Voting among GDL members on an indefinite strike is ongoing, with results expected at the end of December.
If 75 % of the voters agree to an indefinite strike, GDL will exert more pressure on Deutsche Bahn by initiating a strike without a predefined end date.
The first round of collective negotiations began just two weeks ago on November 9.
Last week, on Wednesday and Thursday, GDL paralyzed a significant portion of the country's railway traffic with a 20-hour warning strike. Approximately 80 % of scheduled long-distance trips were canceled. In some federal states where Deutsche Bahn operates S-Bahn and regional trains, the impact on regional transport was even more significant.
Dispute over working hours
The main point of contention in the negotiations between GDL and Deutsche Bahn is the union's demand for a reduction in working hours.
GDL aims to reduce the working week from 38 to 35 hours, but DB personnel manager Martin Zeiler deems this impractical and sees no room for negotiation.
According to Zeiler, it would be too costly, and he claims that reducing the workday would require more staff, which would be particularly challenging to find in the current shortage of qualified labor. GDL Chairman Weselski, on the other hand, asserts that reducing the working week will make railway work more attractive.
In addition to the reduction in working hours, GDL also demands a salary increase of 555 euros per month and a compensation bonus of 3000 euros. Currently, Deutsche Bahn has proposed an eleven percent salary increase over 32 months, along with the required compensation bonus.
Another stumbling block in the negotiations is the future of the GDL union itself. The union aims to expand its influence in the railway sector and negotiate collective agreements for infrastructure workers. However, the railway operator claims that GDL has too few members working in this area.
Arbitration may offer a solution
From the beginning of wage negotiations, GDL has been trying to exert pressure on Deutsche Bahn, regularly threatening strikes and conducting votes on indefinite strikes.
Weselski's statement on Friday marked the latest—and so far, the most significant—escalation of the dispute.
One way to avoid weeks of chaos on the railways may be for both parties to agree to have third-party mediators negotiate an agreement on their behalf. This is how the larger railway workers' union, EVG, resolved its dispute with Deutsche Bahn earlier this year.
However, Weselski previously rejected Deutsche Bahn's calls for arbitration and reiterated on Friday that he sees "no possibilities" for mediation.
According to the national railway operator, the collective agreements negotiated by GDL apply to approximately 10,000 Deutsche Bahn employees.
This makes it a much less representative workers' body compared to EVG. In the spring and summer, the larger railway workers' union negotiated a new agreement for approximately 180,000 DB employees.
However, as GDL primarily represents the interests of train drivers and conductors, its actions could lead to significant disruptions in railway traffic if strikes are declared.
As the current GDL chairman is known for taking a tough stance in negotiations and being willing to organize strikes, there is a temporary ceasefire for passengers as the union has agreed to a "truce" in strikes during Christmas.
Related topics:
The voting among GDL members on an indefinite strike is ongoing, with a requirement of 75% agreement to enforce such a strike without a specific end date.
If an indefinite strike is approved, GDL aims to exert more pressure on Deutsche Bahn by initiating a strike without a predefined end date.
