Tariff agreement in the railway – hope of the overall solution – Reuters Germany

– Markus Wacket

Berlin (Reuters) – In the railway labor dispute is a first degree of the pillars for a total solution.

The Railway and Transport union (ECG) agreed on Wednesday with the state-owned company to a wage increase of a total of 5.1 per cent in two stages. The result in the ongoing dispute for nearly a year initially applies to the approximately 100,000 ECG members in the group. But the path it wants to transmit to all workers including organized in the train drivers’ union GDL employees.

In order for the final is now the basis for the settlement between the train drivers’ union GDL and the railway, which began on Wednesday. The GDL so has the chance to arrange a better conclusion for nearly 40,000 locomotive and Rangierführer and the conductor in the arbitration. During the three-week talks are excluded strikes.

trigger of the conflict was that the GDL wants to achieve its own collective agreement for Rangierführer and train conductors, for professional groups that have been represented by the EDC. In return, the EDC has now negotiated a degree, which also includes its members among the train driver.

However, the train will avoid different contracts within a group of employees. This now also applies to the arbitration with the GDL. EVG Regina Rusch-Ziemba negotiator said she expects there similar to EDC’s degree with a result. The arbitrator, however, are not bound. It is certain that the train would carry a more favorable for employees arbitration proposal to all Group employees regardless of union membership. The Group has named the ex-Prime Minister of Brandenburg, Matthias Platzeck (SPD) as an arbitrator, the GDL the Prime Minister of Thuringia, Bodo Ramelow (Left).

TRAIN: ARE AN limits of feasibility GOTTA

EVG negotiator Rusch-Ziemba spoke of one of the most difficult collective bargaining rounds in the history of the railway. It is important that you have achieved the same result for all employees and it so was no split in the workforce. Bahn personnel chief Ulrich Weber said the group had gone to the limit of “what our business give”. He drew attention to the plight of the rail freight and long-distance passenger traffic, who suffers from the competition of long-distance buses. You have shown that you can bring those negotiations without strike to a conclusion. Unlike the ballast, the GDL has been nine strikes in the labor dispute.

The employees are now to get across all lines in July 3.5 percent wage increase, but at least 80 euros. From May 2016 a further 1.6 per cent will be added, but at least 40 euros. With the minimum sums are low paid more than the percentage increase profit. The term of the collective agreement ends on September 30, 2016. In addition to the paid already during the negotiations of the train 750 euros followed by another payment of 350 euros. The EDC had originally six percent wage increase, but at least demanded 150 euros.

The GDL continues by asking for five percent more salary based on a year in the conciliation talks. But they also called for a reduction in working time by one hour to 38 hours. GDL boss Claus Weselsky said, despite the recently passed by the Bundestag bargaining unit Act the train will now probably have no choice but to accept different contracts for the train crew. An arbitration award may also be refused on both sides. Since railway and federal government had but pushed to arbitration long, a No the Group is considered unlikely.

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