The railway workers’ union EVG has reached an agreement with many companies belonging to the private railway operator Transdev. They could also point the way for the ongoing wage negotiations with Deutsche Bahn.
The union EVG and the companies of the Transdev group have reached an agreement in the collective bargaining for employees in train and bus companies. This was announced by the parties involved.
420 euros plus inflation compensation
The agreement provides for a total wage increase of 420 euros, the EVG announced. Junior staff should receive 220 euros more per month. There is also an inflation compensation premium of up to 1400 euros. The term of the new collective agreement is to be 21 months.
The wage increase is to take place in two steps: wages will increase by EUR 290 from November 2023, and a further EUR 130 will then be paid from August 2024. For junior staff 150, the amounts are initially 150 and then 70 euros. Slightly lower amounts were agreed for the Transdev Service Gesellschaft. The EVG had originally demanded twelve percent more wages, but at least 650 euros more per month – for a period of twelve months.
In addition to the higher regular wages, there are further operational improvements for the employees. The allowances are to be increased by a total of ten percent. Night work, which is better paid, is to be extended from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Many regional providers belong to Transdev
After the state-owned Deutsche Bahn (DB), Transdev is the largest railway company in Germany. These include the Bayerische Regiobahn, the Bayerische Oberlandbahn, the NordWestBahn and the Württembergische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft.
Numerous other companies have meanwhile offered to sign collective agreements with a plus of 420 euros for a period of 21 months or to continue negotiations on this basis. “There are offers that are more or less ready to be concluded, that will become clear in the next few days,” said EVG collective bargaining board member Cosima Ingenschay.
The railway workers’ union EVG is negotiating for around 230,000 employees at around 50 rail and bus companies. The majority of them, around 180,000, work for Deutsche Bahn. The conclusion with the Transdev company could well be exemplary for the negotiations with the state company. EVG collective bargaining board member Ingenschay called on Deutsche Bahn to follow the example of its competitors.
Discussions with Deutsche Bahn are ongoing
On Wednesday, the EVG wants to comment on the current status of the negotiations with DB. The EVG is currently not thinking of a warning strike as a means of enforcing its demands. “
Labor disputes are always the last resort. At the moment we are doing very well,” says the union. The status of negotiations with the group is so good that it is worth discussing with the collective bargaining committee.