The railway company and the EVG trade union have been fighting for higher tariffs since February. Labor lawyer Pfarr and ex-Minister of the Interior de Maizière are now to mediate. For the time being, however, there should be silence about the course of the negotiations.
In the collective bargaining dispute at Deutsche Bahn, the arbitration process begins today. By the end of the month, the two mediators Heide Pfarr (SPD) and Thomas de Maizière (CDU) should mediate between the bargaining parties and bring them to a conclusion. The EVG union then wants its members to vote on the result or a possible arbitration award. By the end of the ballot at the end of August, the EVG had ruled out further strikes on the rails.
“We can hold out a strike for a very long time”
However, union boss Martin Burkert emphasized the workers’ willingness to go on strike if the arbitration did not lead to a result. “We can hold out a strike for a very long time,” Burkert told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. “In the end we will be successful, I am very sure of that. We are very serious.”
Collective bargaining began at the end of February and collapsed at the end of June. Both sides then agreed to arbitration in order to reach a new collective agreement without further industrial action. The EVG nominated employment lawyer Pfarr as arbitrator, the former Interior Minister de Maizière is there at the request of the DB Group. Confidentiality was agreed about the place and time of the arbitration meetings, which also applies to almost all other details. Only the start and the announced conclusion on July 31 were made public.
650 euros more
The EVG was involved in the collective bargaining with the demand for 650 euros more per month, the term should be twelve months according to the union idea. Deutsche Bahn was recently willing to pay a total of 400 euros more per month in two stages, but for a period of 27 months. In addition, there should be an inflation compensation premium of 2850 euros. The union rejected the package because they were not satisfied with the long term and the timing of the increase in the fixed amounts.