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Rail: Train drivers demand almost five percent more wages

2020-10-22T14:19:08.992Z


With the demand for 4.8 percent more wages, the train drivers begin their arbitration proceedings with the railways. Union chief Weselsky also wants a three-year bonus waiver for the railroad bosses.


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GDL boss Claus Weselsky (archive picture)

Photo: Uwe Zucchi / dpa

The arbitration process between the Union of German Locomotive Drivers (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn has started.

The GDL goes into negotiations with the demand for 4.8 percent more wages.

Both sides want to advise on how to deal with the losses of the corona crisis.

In the past few months, Deutsche Bahn's income has plummeted.

She therefore wants to dampen the rise in personnel costs.

GDL boss Claus Weselsky said of the demands that railway employees deserved more "than clapping from balconies and in the end recurring fairy tales from management that everything will get better."

Weselsky called for a special collective agreement for the consequences of the crisis.

In recognition of the performance of the railway workforce, a one-off payment for the employees in the amount of 1,300 euros is to be recorded this year.

In the contract it should also be agreed "that all executives of the Deutsche Bahn AG group waive their bonuses for three years", said Weselsky.

The contract should have a term of 12 months.

The current collective agreement expires in February.

Until then, the duty of peace applies - even if the arbitration procedure fails.

Arbitration procedure as a special corona situation

The negotiations are initially scheduled to take three weeks, but can be extended by one week in accordance with the arbitration agreement.

According to Martin Seiler, Board Member for Human Resources, the group expects "constructive negotiations in order to agree a solution with the GDL to help deal with the corona damage."

The arbitration procedure is therefore "not about an early regular wage round, but about a special situation caused by Corona".

In view of the considerable economic damage, a prompt agreement with the GDL is required, said Seiler.

Both sides agreed on the role of mediator on the former Brandenburg Prime Minister Matthias Platzeck (SPD).

It was agreed not to disclose for the duration of the talks.

The federally owned group had already agreed several weeks ago with the railway and transport union (EVG) on a new collective bargaining agreement with wage and salary increases that were well below the demands made by the GDL.

Compulsory redundancies are excluded until the end of the term at the end of February 2023.

Weselsky rejected a blanket protection against dismissal for all employees.

He criticized the administration, which in his opinion was excessive and urgently needed to be streamlined.

The administrative staff of Deutsche Bahn are not organized in the GDL, but in the EVG.

At the time, the GDL rejected collective bargaining as part of the "Alliance for the Railway" concluded by EVG and the railway.

However, it is obliged to arbitrate.

Weselsky expressed skepticism about a possible agreement.

"We have an arbitration ahead of us that we didn't want," he said.

But there is "justified hope that we will come to an arbitration result".

The GDL represents around 30,000 employees at Deutsche Bahn.

Icon: The mirror

kim / dpa

Source: spiegel

All business articles on 2020-10-22

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