Germany is (once again) looking at the salaries and working conditions of train drivers – the next strike by the GDL union is likely to be imminent. But what do you actually earn in the other professional groups that work at the railway? An overview.
The fight is tough – once again. In the current collective bargaining dispute between the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn (DB), the signs point to strike. The GDL declared the talks this Friday to have failed. The demands and offers of both sides are too far apart. The union demanded, among other things, 555 euros more per month and an inflation compensation bonus. The crux of the negotiations was the demand for a reduction in working hours from 38 to 35 hours per week for shift workers with full pay. The railway considered this demand unfulfillable and put an offer of an eleven percent wage increase on the table for a period of 32 months and also offered an inflation bonus. It is not yet clear whether and when there will be further work stoppages at DB. A ballot is underway.
How much do you earn in railway jobs?
Around 20,000 train drivers work at DB, making them almost ten percent of the group’s total employees in Germany – and yet, similar to pilots in aviation, they are an extremely powerful and power-conscious professional group. Most of the men and women work in shifts and have a lot of responsibility at the front of the locomotives and railcars. According to DB, the average salary of its train drivers, including all allowances and surcharges, is around 4200 euros per month (You can read detailed information about their salaries here).
In order for trains to roll safely across the country, it takes much more than qualified personnel in the driver’s cabs. People who work in the signal box, train attendants, men and Women, who advise passengers in the travel center or workshop staff are just the most obvious ones. At Deutsche Bahn, by far the largest railway company in the country, there are more than 500 different professions.
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Aside from the locomotives, what are the earning potential in the transport industry? The Federal Employment Agency’s wage atlas provides information. The star used this to calculate the salaries of 15 railway professional groups (not just those employed by the DB) and to compare pilots and bus drivers:
Sources: , DPA news agency
Source: Stern
