Deutsche Bahn and GDL have finally signed a collective agreement. Claus Weselsky sees himself as the winner, as he has implemented the 35-hour week. Nevertheless, the outgoing GDL boss makes serious accusations against the railway.
Martin Seiler looks tired. No wonder, details were still being negotiated until 5:15 a.m. early Tuesday morning, after Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) had already announced an agreement that evening. Then drive home, take a quick breather, and step in front of the microphones again at ten o’clock: it’s exhausting. But it was worth it. After months of dispute and a total of six strikes, DB and GDL came together and concluded a collective agreement. The contracts were “signed a few hours ago,” says the DB human resources director. This means that the collective bargaining dispute has been resolved. Seiler speaks of an “intelligent compromise”https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/.”Today is a really good day,” he adds.