Collective bargaining failed
Indefinite strikes at the railways threaten: EVG wants to let members decide
It’s five to twelve at the railway station – the EVG union is threatening indefinite strikes
© Peter Kneffel / DPA
Collective bargaining at Deutsche Bahn has failed. Now the prospect of a hard labor dispute should convince the employer – possibly in the middle of the summer holidays.
Indefinite strikes with numerous train cancellations may still threaten the railways in the summer. The federal board of the railway and transport union (EVG) decided on Thursday in Berlin to let the members decide in a ballot, as the German press agency learned. The passengers of Deutsche Bahn and also the competing companies could face restless weeks.
On Wednesday evening, the collective bargaining committee of the EVG declared the collective bargaining with Deutsche Bahn to have failed. She justified the demolition by saying that the salary increase offered by the railways – according to dpa information 420 euros a month – was too low and too late. The planned contract period of 27 months is “significantly too long,” it said.
EVG boss: Deutsche Bahn must top up properly
“We will now start preparing for the ballot, with all the associated consequences. This will make open-ended strikes possible,” said EVG boss Martin Burkert. “We are still willing to negotiate.” In order to come to a conclusion, Deutsche Bahn now has to “do a good job”. “We’re not asking for the impossible. It’s our colleagues who make sure that the bus and train run every day despite all the adversities for which they are not responsible, and they rightly expect appropriate payment for this,” said Burkert.
In view of the still high inflation, the employees expected a strong wage increase “immediately”. “In a first step, however, DB AG did not want to pay more than 200 euros more and that only in December.” That is too little and too late. “It is absolutely clear that we will not enforce our claim in full, but we want to come close,” said Burkert.
The organization of the ballot will take a few weeks. However, it cannot be ruled out that the EVG will put pressure on the employers’ side with temporary warning strikes.
The wage conflict has been going on since the end of February. The EVG entered the talks with the aim of increasing the fixed amount by at least 650 euros per month or twelve percent for the upper wage brackets. According to their ideas, the term should be one year.
According to its own information, the railways recently promised a high fixed amount, an inflation compensation premium of 2850 euros and far-reaching structural improvements for a 27-month term of the collective agreement.
Passengers’ holiday plans at risk
As a result of the board decision on Thursday, the summer holidays in several federal states could now be disrupted by long strikes. The holidays have already begun in North Rhine-Westphalia, followed by Lower Saxony, Bremen and Saxony-Anhalt on July 6th.
At the beginning of the current week, the EVG surprised with collective bargaining agreements at some private railways, in which wage increases of 420 euros in several stages, a term of mostly 21 months and 1000 to 1400 euros inflation compensation premium were agreed. However, the EUR 650 more per month with a twelve-month term initially demanded by these railway companies had obviously raised high expectations: the agreements were the subject of heated debate among the members of the EVG.