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Trains in Berlin Central Station
Photo: Hannes P. Albert / dpa
Deutsche Bahn has continued to accommodate the train drivers in the collective bargaining agreement on the core issue of working hours: The company and the GDL union have agreed on a 35-hour week from 2029.
The state-owned company announced that in the future there will be a choice of weekly working hours for shift staff. “The dispute was tough, but we were now able to agree on an intelligent compromise,” said DB Human Resources Director Martin Seiler. The core component is an “option model with which employees in shift work can decide for themselves about their weekly working hours in the future.” The corridor will last from 35 to 40 hours by 2029. “The performance principle applies: those who work more earn more,” explained Seiler.
There is also a 420 euro wage increase in two steps: 210 euros more per month on August 1, 2024 and another 210 euros on April 1, 2025. An inflation compensation bonus of 2,850 euros is to be paid out in two stages from March. The peace obligation with the GDL now applies until the end of February 2026. The collective agreement runs for 26 months until December 31, 2025, followed by a two-month negotiation phase during which no strikes are possible.
After six industrial disputes in the current round of negotiations, a failed moderation and a dispute in court, there have recently been talks again. Late on Monday evening, an agreement was finally announced between the employee and employer sides, and both want to inform about the details at separate press conferences later in the day. The main sticking point was the GDL's requirement to reduce the weekly working hours for staff on shift work to 35 hours with the same pay.
The union has repeatedly paralyzed rail traffic in recent months. In addition to hundreds of thousands of commuters and other travelers, industry was also directly affected by the cancellation of freight trains.
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April/Reuters