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Claus Weselsky: Promised a longer notice period before the next strike
Photo: Christoph Soeder / dpa
In the wage dispute between Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers' union GDL, the situation after the strike last week has proceeded.
The train drivers may want to go back to work soon.
Pressure should initially build a protest rally in front of the Deutsche Bahn headquarters in Berlin this Tuesday (1.30 p.m.).
The GDL had warned last week that it would only be "a very short time" before the strike came again.
But no concrete new strike date has yet been announced.
The GDL, its umbrella organization, the German Association of Officials, is calling for the rally.
Its boss, Ulrich Silberbach, said on Monday that there would probably have to be further strike actions.
According to the police, the Association of Officials has registered 75 participants for the rally.
Pro Bahn calls for changes to the Unified Tariff Act
GDL boss Claus Weselsky had assured that passengers would be able to prepare for a strike longer than the first time.
At that time, only 15 hours passed from the announcement to the two-day labor dispute.
He had also indicated that the next strike could last longer and also include a weekend.
The passenger association Pro Bahn is bothered by the fact that two unions, the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) and the GDL, are potentially on strike at the railway - both to the detriment of customers.
Pro Bahn therefore calls for changes to the Unified Tariff Act.
“We need a regulation on how to deal with two different unions.
But there must be no competition between the unions, ”said the honorary chairman of the association, Karl-Peter Naumann.
The GDL has been trying for months to win new members, including from the larger EVG.
This heats up the collective bargaining conflict with the railways for more money and better working conditions.
The background to this is the Unified Collective Bargaining Act.
It stipulates that in individual companies only the collective bargaining agreement of the union, which represents most of the members there, will apply.
This is actually intended to provide an incentive for trade unions to coordinate their collective bargaining policy, as the Federal Ministry of Labor affirmed.
Passenger lobbyist Naumann thinks this is possible.
"EVG and GDL members also work well together in the works council," he said.
He suggested that the employees also have a say in appointing the collective bargaining committees.
These lead the collective bargaining, but are so far bodies of the union.
"Politicians have to act again here," demanded Naumann.
However, the ministry has argued that the Unified Collective Bargaining Act was not designed to prevent strikes.
apr / AFP