NAfter the third round of strikes by the train drivers’ union GDL ended, Deutsche Bahn expressed satisfaction with the start of normal operations. As the railway spokesperson said on Tuesday morning, regional trains and long-distance trains will operate as planned again on Tuesday. In individual cases, there may still be violations.
The train resumed normal operation on Tuesday morning. The GDL strike is temporarily over. Both parties want to draw a conclusion in one day. One thing is already clear: The third and longest strike to date in the ongoing collective bargaining dispute has had a profound impact on freight and passenger transport.
The second longest strike in railway history
However, the union has shown that it can last longer: 127 hours of passenger transport and 138 hours of freight transport are GDL’s longest-lasting labor dispute in collective bargaining disputes to date. That was in May 2015. Only two months later, the collective agreement was reached through arbitration. The strike that has now ended lasted 110 hours of passenger traffic and 118 hours of freight. This makes it the second longest railway in the history of Deutsche Bahn.
No settlement can be seen. “After the strike is before the strike,” GDL boss Claus Weselsky said on Monday. Whether labor disputes occur again is up to the railway management to decide.
In addition to classic tariff issues, the scope of influence of the Uniform Tariff Law and GDL within the group is also controversial. The law came into effect in 2015. It stipulates that, in companies with multiple unions, only collective agreements of employee representatives with a larger number of members apply. Most of the approximately 300 railway companies, from the perspective of the group, this is a railway and transportation alliance that competes with GDL.
GDL wants to expand its influence
Therefore, Weselsky was forced to expand his influence to other industries and became a majority union. In addition to training personnel, he also hopes to negotiate for workshop employees as well as employees in infrastructure and administrative departments-so far, these areas have traditionally been represented by EVG.
Shortly before the end of the strike, Wesselski reiterated his request that the union be able to reach a collective agreement for all members of the railway companies.
In addition to these issues, wage disputes are also related to money. GDL requires a 3.2% salary increase and a corona premium of 600 euros during the 28-month term. The railway recently offered a 36-month period and agreed to a corona premium. There is also controversy regarding the provisions of pensions.
