This abbreviation has been making rail travelers restless for weeks: GDL. The largest union in the railways is called EVG. And it also has a message for the group.
In the collective bargaining conflict at Deutsche Bahn, EVG insists on the same services as the train drivers’ union GDL might get out with its strikes.
“We have made it clear to the employer that we have a revision clause, and we will use it,” said EVG boss Klaus-Dieter Hommel of the German press agency. The clause provides that negotiations with the EVG will be renegotiated if Deutsche Bahn grants another union more in a collective agreement. Hommel emphasized: “We will determine when this collective bargaining conflict will end.”
Deutsche Bahn passengers could find out this Friday whether there will be another strike. The train drivers’ union GDL wants to comment on its further approach at 11 a.m. in Berlin. She had threatened another strike if Deutsche Bahn did not increase its offer. “So far there is no negotiable offer, an amicable solution does not seem in sight,” said the GDL on Thursday.
On the other hand, Deutsche Bahn and the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) concluded a deal up to February 2023 since last autumn. Up to this point in time, the railway had not offered the GDL any more than the EVG.
Because of the passenger slump in the Corona crisis and the high losses of the railway for the current year, the EVG had agreed to a zero round in 2021. The train drivers want higher table salaries and a corona bonus this year.
If the GDL prevails, the railway would have to speak to the EVG again. “We would then negotiate a larger volume,” said Hommel. If this does not lead to success, the EVG can use its special right of termination for the collective agreement and, in turn, call for strikes. Hommel had made a similar statement in the “Rheinische Post” (Thursday).
The EVG is currently negotiating the company pensions for Deutsche Bahn employees with the Deutsche Bahn. “You run slowly,” said Hommel. The group wants to partially change the pension system, which consists of several pillars. The GDL is also negotiating on this and recently placed the topic at the center of its campaign.
“The subject of company pension is an issue, we are one hundred percent in agreement,” said Hommel. There should be no cutbacks in the number of employees. In contrast to the GDL, the EVG supports the aim of the railway to provide more for the future through a pension fund instead of its own reserves.
Hommel rejected allegations from the GDL: “It is nonsense and slander when the GDL accuses us of having betrayed the company pension.” The pension fund is much more effective for employees than the old system.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
