Rail strike: what does a train driver actually earn?

The escalating tariff dispute at Deutsche Bahn is not primarily about the train drivers demanding more money.

The railways and the train drivers' union GDL basically agree that the employees should get a total of 3.2 percent more salary.

This corresponds to a degree in the public service.

The GDL has dropped its original request for 4.8 percent more money.

The only question now is when the salary will be increased: Deutsche Bahn does not want to increase by 1.4 percent until autumn 2022 and by a further 1.8 percent in spring 2023.

The GDL agrees with the levels, but is demanding the first this year and the second the next.

In addition, she also demands a corona bonus of 600 euros, which should still flow in 2021.

Train drivers earn better abroad

Train drivers currently earn between 44,000 and 52,500 euros a year, including allowances and Christmas bonuses.

This makes them one of the best-paid collective bargaining employees in the DB Group.

Dispatchers can earn a little more with up to 54,500 euros, but the range is also greater with them: Depending on their exact position, they can only get 36,000 euros a year.

Train attendants cost 37,000 to 50,000 euros, and ticket sales staff at the stations cost between 33,000 and 41,500 euros.

The information comes from Deutsche Bahn and relates to a 39-hour week.

According to a spokeswoman, this does not include the option for employees to get additional vacation days in return for a lower salary.

As a result of this and other special regulations, salaries can also be outside the stated ranges.

The salaries of train drivers are far lower than, for example, the salaries of pilots, although train drivers often cite that both professions have a similar level of responsibility.

Pilots who are retraining to train drivers in the Corona crisis therefore have to accept sometimes severe wage drops.

An important reason for the dissatisfaction of train drivers in Germany is also that they are paid below average within their profession compared to other European countries. For example, the starting salary for train drivers in Switzerland is the equivalent of 60,597 euros (64,920 francs) - without allowances. Although the higher cost of living in Switzerland must be taken into account, this sum is even higher than the maximum salary that a German train driver can achieve. In the course of his professional life, a Swiss train driver can earn almost 70,000 euros a year, and from the age of 40 the salary increases by 200 francs every year.