As of: 05/14/2023 6:05 p.m
After the cancellation of the warning strike by the railway and transport union (EVG), two-thirds of the planned long-distance trains are to run at Deutsche Bahn (DB) on Monday, but numerous connections will be canceled. From Tuesday, all ICE and IC trains should be back on the road as planned, as the railway announced on Sunday.
The originally planned 50-hour warning strike was supposed to start on Sunday evening. On Saturday afternoon, however, the EVG suspended him because the union and the railways were able to reach a settlement before the Frankfurt am Main labor court. As a result, the railway operation had to be “reorganized from shutting down to raising” within 24 hours, the railway said. Since Saturday, around 50,000 train journeys in long-distance and local transport alone, as well as the associated shift and deployment plans, have been rescheduled. In addition, vehicles would have to be rescheduled and, in some cases, brought to new departure points.
Train binding is canceled until Tuesday
In order to accommodate the passengers, the railway has lifted the train connection for journeys between Sunday and Tuesday. If trains booked for Monday or Tuesday are canceled completely, the usual passenger rights also apply – these allow, among other things, to catch up on the journey later. Long-distance tickets booked by May 11 for the travel days May 14 to 16 can also be refunded. The Ascension Day week is one of the busiest weeks of the year, as DB emphasized.
Deutsche Bahn recommended that all travelers only take train journeys on Wednesday or Thursday for which seat reservations are still available. According to the information, there will be significant bottlenecks, especially in the Hanover hub, where most ICE trains converge. The Nordwestbahn, which is dependent on the rail infrastructure of Deutsche Bahn, says it is relying on being able to carry out all journeys as usual after the rail strike has been averted. Train passengers should find out about the current situation in good time before starting their journey.
Restrictions also apply to regional and freight traffic
Restrictions can also be expected in freight traffic on Monday and Tuesday. There will also be cancellations in DB regional traffic. This should also apply to travelers who wanted to travel with train competitors. For the time being, the EVG only stopped its labor dispute at Deutsche Bahn and continues to strike around 50 of the company’s competitors, with whom it has been negotiating new collective agreements since the end of February. From the union’s perspective, most of these talks are not progressing significantly. Only the labor dispute at the railway was canceled.
The Nordbahn announced that there would be a replacement bus service on the Pinneberg – Elmshorn – Wrist, Büsum – Heide Neumünster and Neumünster – Bad Segeberg – Bad Oldesloe lines for Monday. Erixx Holstein wants to work on the normal timetable on the lines between Kiel, Lübeck and Lüneburg. However, restrictions must be expected, it said. According to the company, restrictions on the Niebüll – Dagebüll and Niebüll – Tondern (Denmark) routes are likely at the Norddeutsche Eisenbahn Niebüll. According to Deutsche Bahn, regional traffic in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania should largely run according to plan.
After comparison: negotiations continue
According to ARD information, the responsible judge at the Frankfurt labor court had proposed a comparison in the oral hearing between the EVG and Deutsche Bahn on Saturday and indicated several times that she had doubts about the legality of the strike. EVG runs the risk of losing in court if it does not agree to the settlement.
“The way Deutsche Bahn went before the labor court was worth it for everyone,” said Martin Seiler, Deutsche Bahn’s Human Resources Director. With the settlement, both sides also agreed, according to the DB, “to negotiate quickly and constructively, with the aim of an early conclusion”. The EVG explained that the minimum wage issue is the prerequisite for all other negotiation topics. “The employer made it clear in court that he would meet our minimum wage requirements,” said an EVG spokesman. If the employer “breaks his word, we will call for a strike again”.
Minimum wage is set
The comparison stipulates that the minimum wage of 12 euros will be stipulated in the collective bargaining agreements for Deutsche Bahn and that all wage increases will be credited in full. This should also apply to employees who receive slightly more than the minimum wage. This means that nothing stands in the way of the actual collective bargaining between Deutsche Bahn and the EVG, which is scheduled to take place in Fulda at the end of May. The union demands at least 650 euros more per month – the railways have so far offered inflation compensation of 2,850 euros and wage increases in the coming year of 8 to 10 percent.
Around 2,000 employees have so far only been able to earn the minimum wage through bonuses. Overall, the EVG is negotiating for 180,000 employees at DB and for 50,000 at other railway companies.
Further information
