German rail: talks tariff initially failed – STERN.DE

German rail: talks tariff initially failed – STERN.DE

D he talks about rules for collective bargaining at the Deutsche Bahn are initially rejected. “What we have seen today is an unprecedented step backwards”, said railway personnel director Ulrich Weber after a meeting in Frankfurt on Monday. He accused the union of German train (GDL) to have brought about a turnaround failure. The GDL confirmed the end of cooperation negotiations.

At the talks, the Railway and Transport union (ECG) was involved. It was a matter which union may negotiate for which groups among the 170,000 workers. The train had prepared a proposal whereby GDL and ECG vote each, but one of the two unions negotiated with the responsible path. . They wanted no competing collective bargaining, it said

“collaborations are always a good thing”

The GDL sees it differently: A bargaining unit, means nothing else than the targeted circumvention of plurality and competition, said GDL chief Claus Weselsky. “Collaborations are always a good thing, but if they amount to a collective cartel to the detriment of all union members, then that’s not to do with us.” The designed of the railway contract principles should serve to “permanently fix members first and second class in the collective business.”

The web will only negotiate more money for the workers, if the rules of the game have been resolved by the two rival unions. But since a week of negotiations with the GDL is agreed on income improvements for this Wednesday. “This appointment is not canceled and we assess the situation”, said only a web spokeswoman on Monday it.

basic collective agreement expired

end of June had expired a basic collective bargaining agreement, according to the GDL was responsible for 20,000 drivers at the track and the ballast for the other professionals of the Group, including the train conductor. This division is now up for grabs

“Instead of negotiating on par with fair rules of the game are the power relations among unions at the center – that is not our understanding of social partnership”, criticized Chief Human Resources Officer Weber. The TOE threw the GDL before, to have left the path of fair cooperation.

In September, the TOE will start salary bargaining. Next Monday it will decide their demand. The GDL required for employees five percent wage increase and two hours a week less.