As of: January 29, 2024, 10:45 a.m
By: Amy Walker
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The GDL's six-day strike ended early - negotiations are finally underway again.
But what if the negotiations fail again?
Berlin - It was hardly foreseeable that the collective bargaining negotiations between Deutsche Bahn and the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) would make any real progress.
The two sides seemed so deadlocked; talks had not taken place since December.
Instead, there were several strikes.
But now there is finally good news: the union and the company were able to end the longest strike in the history of the railway early and want to sit down at the table again from February 5th.
In addition, a peace obligation was agreed until March 3rd.
So: No strikes for the next five weeks.
“The GDL doesn’t care at all that third parties are harmed”
But what if it doesn't work this time either?
The conflict could still become deadlocked again, even if the two sides finally want to sit down at the table again.
The rail strike has long been more than just an annoyance for customers: the blockage of this infrastructure is also disrupting supply chains - at a time when Germany is in a recession.
“The GDL doesn’t care at all that third parties are harmed here,” says Michael Hüther, director of the German Economic Institute (IW) in Cologne, in an interview with economist Bert Rürup on the Handelsblatt podcast
Economic Challenges
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In his opinion, what makes the union so dangerous in these negotiations is the fact that it is not only fighting against the railways, but also against the EVG railway workers' union.
The reason for this is the Collective Bargaining Unity Act, which stipulates that in a company with several unions, only the collective agreement with the most members counts.
As a result, EVG and GDL compete for power in the DB companies.
According to Hüther, due to this tricky situation, the GDL has not learned to negotiate and cooperate - only to argue.
In addition, there are “personal sensitivities” between GDL boss Claus Weselsky and human resources director Martin Seiler, which are further slowing down the negotiations.
Michael Hüther from IW Cologne criticizes the GDL's actions in the rail strike.
© IMAGO / IPON
“It can’t be the case that a union makes a demand and says: eat or die,” Michael Hüther continued in the podcast.
There must always be negotiations; an offer must be followed by a conversation.
However, this has not been observed at the railway in the past few weeks.
The railway has already submitted three offers in 2024 alone without the GDL approaching them.
“But you also have to tell the railways that they need to create more trust.
Both sides are really not familiar with what social partnership actually means.”
There is no right to strike: mandatory arbitration before a strike?
In the podcast, the two economists also talk about the responsibility of the owner of Deutsche Bahn in this conflict.
This is the state that would have to ensure that this critical infrastructure is not blocked for a long time.
The right to strike is not anchored in the Basic Law, so when it comes to collective bargaining, other models should also be considered that could possibly be anchored in law.
“It would be conceivable that mandatory arbitration would be introduced before a strike is called,” suggests Rürup.
“Then one in politics would have to have the courage to determine what belongs to the critical infrastructure,” adds Hüther, who also considers strikes in hospitals to be problematic.
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Another model that the two sides should consider for the future would be the use of a moderator, the economists believe.
“A kind of marriage counseling for Weselsky and Seiler,” says Hüther.
In fact, the two sides have now agreed to hold talks together with moderators.
The group has agreed with the GDL to negotiate new collective agreements in camera from February 5th and, if necessary, with moderators.
The aim is to reach a conclusion by the beginning of March, the railway said.
If this succeeds, further strikes at Deutsche Bahn would be ruled out in the next few months.
With material from dpa