Weselsky: I will not be blamed for any escalation
The head of the train drivers' union GDL, Claus Weselsky, blames the management of Deutsche Bahn for the tense situation in the wage dispute and the warning strike. "I won't allow myself to be blamed for escalating the situation if the other side says: "I won't negotiate with you about weekly working hours and I won't negotiate with you about collective agreements for train dispatchers", Weselsky told radio station WDR5 on Thursday morning. No compromise could be reached if the employers' side fundamentally rejected negotiations on these issues.
The reduction of the working week from 38 to 35 hours for shift workers is a core demand of the GDL in the current wage dispute with Deutsche Bahn. DB Board Member for Human Resources Martin Seiler rejects negotiations on this because he believes that the demand cannot be implemented in view of the shortage of skilled workers. According to Seiler, Deutsche Bahn would then need significantly more employees, who would be hard to find.
The GDL justifies its nationwide warning strike, which has led to numerous cancellations on both regional and long-distance services since Wednesday evening, with this stance on the part of Deutsche Bahn. The industrial action is set to continue until 6 p.m. on Thursday evening. Deutsche Bahn has canceled the second round of negotiations originally planned for Thursday. The GDL wants to appear at the negotiating venue in the morning - but without its boss. Weselsky is expected to take part in a demonstration in Schwerin at 11.00 am.
On WDR5, the 64-year-old once again accused the DB board of poor management. "What has the railroad been offering for the last two years? Chaos. Unpunctuality, unreliability," said Weselsky. He sees the blame for this at management level.
Claus Weselsky, the GDL head, suggested that the railroad's management might face tariff-related blame if they refused to discuss weekly working hours and collective agreements for train dispatchers, echoing his statements on WDR5. The ongoing standoff between the GDL and Deutsche Bahn over a shorter working week for shift workers has led to traffic disruptions on both regional and long-distance services, with GDL executives citing DB's position as the cause.
Source: www.dpa.com
