In the collective bargaining dispute at Deutsche Bahn, both sides are meeting today for the second round. The group wants to offer something. But whether that will be enough to avert warning strikes is questionable.
After a quick start to the tariff at the end of February, Deutsche Bahn and the railway and transport union (EVG) want to meet again today. It is considered unlikely that the planned second meeting in Berlin will lead to a breakthrough in the negotiations. In the event of failure, warning strikes threaten. In a letter to the union, the railways promised a “complete offer to solve the collective bargaining round”. The question remains, however, whether this is sufficient for the union.
In addition to the railways, the EVG is also negotiating with around 50 other railway companies. She demands at least 650 euros more wages from all companies. She wants to achieve an increase of twelve percent in the higher fees over a period of twelve months. In addition, she calls for some structural changes in the collective agreements.
The railway had rejected the claims as clearly too high. The first round of negotiations in Fulda was interrupted after just two hours at the end of February.
Statutory minimum wage is a sticking point
The EVG demands an offer from employers before concrete content can be negotiated. The federal railway, in turn, insists on first talking about the demands. A first sticking point from the trade union point of view is the statutory minimum wage. According to the EVG, this is currently only maintained for a few thousand employees thanks to allowances, but has not yet been included in the income table. The minimum wage issue is also included in the overall offer that Deutsche Bahn has in its luggage today, the group said last week.
Media reports that the union is planning warning strikes for March 27 were not confirmed by the EVG on Monday either. According to “Bild am Sonntag”, joint actions with the Verdi union, which is currently trying to enforce higher wages in the public sector, are to take place that day. The next hearing is scheduled for March 27th and 28th. Around two weeks ago, Verdi had largely brought local public transport to a standstill in several federal states with warning strikes.
Before the round of negotiations, the EVG wants to increase the pressure on employers with a rally in Berlin today.
Source: Stern
