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Photo: Karina Hessland / IMAGO
The train drivers' union GDL and the railway company Abellio have agreed on a new collective agreement.
According to the union, the GDL's central demand for a 35-hour week for shift workers was met.
In addition, an increase in salaries was agreed upon.
According to Abellio, the reduction in working hours from 38 to 35 hours will take place in several stages until 2028.
Abellio announced that the employees paid according to the collective agreement would receive an increase in their monthly basic salary by a total of 420 euros in two steps until February 1, 2025.
Various allowances would be increased by up to ten percent.
Employer contributions to company pension schemes and remuneration for trainees would also be increased.
The inflation compensation bonus would be increased so that a total of 3,000 euros would be paid to every employee since autumn.
“With the result achieved, Abellio is reaching the threshold of financial burden,” said the chairman of the Abellio management, Rolf Schafferath.
The GDL pointed out that new tariffs had now been agreed with 18 partners, including several regional rail companies.
With a view to the stalled negotiations with Deutsche Bahn, the GDL said: "The DB is thus isolating itself further and further and shows how far it has alienated itself from the interests of its own employees."
Abellio operates long routes in Saxony-Anhalt, as well as lines to Lower Saxony and Thuringia.
It is a subsidiary of the Dutch state railway Nederlandse Spoorwegen.
kko/dpa