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In the corona pandemic, Deutsche Bahn suffered losses in the billions. However, employees of the federally owned company should receive more money. The advantage is likely to be less than in previous years.
After weeks of fighting, Deutsche Bahn and the Union of Railways and Transport (EVG) have reached an agreement on their collective bargaining. Both parties agreed to moderate wage and salary increases, as announced by the union and the group.
The exact numbers were not initially known. During the negotiations, both parties agreed to a corridor of 0.5 to 1.5 percent more wages. The EVG recently asked for 1.5 percent more money for employees. The negotiating partners want to present details on Friday morning.
“Common sign of responsibility”
“Our collective agreement protects DB AG employees from the effects of the corona pandemic until early 2023. That was exactly our goal,” said EVG President-designate Klaus-Dieter Hommel. For Deutsche Bahn, on the other hand, the deal is a “balanced deal,” according to an evening statement. Personnel Director Martin Seiler announced: “In times of job cuts or reduced hours in the German economy, the agreement is a common sign of responsibility.”
According to EVG, the rate package excludes operational layoffs for the entire period. Additionally, employees with children have the option of taking up to 50 days off for childcare. Therefore, 100 days are for single-parent families.
Bahn wants to attract new employees
The collective bargaining negotiations advanced due to the Corona crisis also addressed the question of how around two billion euros in staff can be saved by 2024 without jeopardizing Deutsche Bahn’s hiring campaign. In May, the Federal Minister of Transport, Andreas Scheuer, the board of directors of the federally owned DB AG, the EVG and the works council of the group in the “Alliance for our railways” agreed that there should be no downsizing and no end to continuous hiring. This year alone, Deutsche Bahn wants to gain 25,000 new employees. According to the railway, a job offer for around 21,000 has already been made.
However, the group suffered billions of dollars in losses in the Corona crisis. They are partially compensated by the federal government, but the company must also cut costs. The increase in wages and salaries will now be correspondingly small. In the previous collective agreement two years ago, the union had achieved a pay increase in two stages of 3.5 percent and 2.6 percent. Now the jump should be much less. It remains to be seen if there is also a fare package with the GDL train conductors union.
