Traffic
Dispute over rail safety – EVG calls for EM program
“In my opinion, a general increase of 20 percent in security personnel is not enough,” says EVG chairman Martin Burkert, referring to the upcoming European Football Championships in Germany. photo
© Andreas Arnold/dpa
According to Deutsche Bahn, there were more than 3,000 attacks on employees in 2023. It usually affects the train crew. The EVG union is now warning of chaos during the European Football Championship.
Things are developing at Deutsche Bahn just a few weeks before the European Football Championship Germany is experiencing an intense dispute over the safety of employees. The railway and transport union EVG has demanded significantly more effort from the railway to ensure the safety of its employees than was recently announced.
“In my opinion, a flat rate of 20 percent more security personnel is not enough,” EVG chairman Martin Burkert told the German Press Agency. “Due to the current EVG studies and the alarming reality, 20 percent more security personnel are already needed for regular summer and tourist traffic.”
The union presented a survey among railway company employees last week. According to this, 64 percent of those surveyed have experienced violence or hostility in the past twelve months. The EVG is therefore calling for “immediate measures” on the occasion of the upcoming European Football Championship. The railway, in turn, announced that it would increase the “pool of security guards at our stations and on our trains by around 20 percent (or around 900 security guards)” for the tournament.
Works councilor: Not just friendly football fans
This 20 percent more is already needed in normal operations, said Heike Moll, a member of several DB works councils, to the dpa. “We won’t just have friendly football fans here, and some fans’ inhibitions towards violence are simply very low. That’s why the railway has to go the extra mile when it comes to security,” said Moll.
EVG boss Burkert is calling for a special EM program “that primarily focuses on the train stations and forecourts”. The program must be adapted to the game plan, the pairings and the fan movements. “As EVG, we are in close contact with the police union about this.” The colleagues at the railway companies are ready to be good EM hosts – “but they are not prepared to endanger life and limb for it.”
EVG wants to protect employees from attacks
Last week, the EVG had already threatened to recommend that employees refuse to work if there was an increased potential for danger during an assignment. “I don’t want to talk about a strike, but the right to refuse performance could become an issue if we determine that there are clear risk situations for our colleagues,” said works councilor Moll.
“We cannot expose our colleagues to attacks that may have occurred because of a lack of security. We therefore have to assess whether we are knowingly putting our colleagues at risk to their body and soul.” She gave a clear no to this. From Moll’s point of view, 40 to 50 percent more security personnel are needed instead of 20, especially at large train stations like in Munich. This also applies to trains and information points.
DB attracts football fans to the trains with ticket offers
The European Football Championship begins on June 14th in Munich with the game between Germany and Scotland. The final will take place on July 14th in Berlin. Other venues include Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig and Stuttgart.
Football fans with tickets to a European Championship game have already been actively encouraged to travel on DB long-distance transport in recent months and lured with ticket offers. Anyone who has a ticket and is traveling within Germany can use the train for a return trip to the respective game for 29.90 euros each way. Deutsche Bahn is one of the official national partners of the European Championship.