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Trains in Berlin Central Station
Photo: Hannes P. Albert / dpa
Deutsche Bahn has accommodated the train drivers' union GDL in the collective bargaining agreement on the core issue of working hours.
The state-owned company announced on Tuesday that there is a choice model for 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 element is an innovative 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: whoever works more earns 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.
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