EVG rejects another offer – Bahn is supposed to add more on Wednesday

ECG warning strike

The union is negotiating with Deutsche Bahn for more money for around 180,000 group employees.

(Photo: dpa)

Fulda Negotiations are deadlocked in the collective bargaining dispute at Deutsche Bahn. The EVG union rejected a new offer from the group in the third round of talks on Tuesday in Fulda, as negotiator Kristian Loroch announced. The proposal is non-negotiable in terms of amount and duration. The railway needs to improve.

An EVG spokesman said that the tariff commission would remain at the meeting place in Fulda on Wednesday and would be ready at any time to evaluate a new proposal. The commission will meet again in the morning. It is still unclear whether there will be further talks with the employers.

The EVG had rejected an offer made by Deutsche Bahn in Fulda. In the current collective bargaining round, the group had proposed an increase of ten percent for the lower and middle wage groups and eight percent for the upper wage groups in addition to a tax and duty-free inflation adjustment totaling 2,850 euros.

Minimum wage as a point of contention

EVG criticized the term of 27 months as too long and the amount as too low. The union demands at least 650 euros more per month or twelve percent for the upper income earners. In addition, she wants to enforce a term of twelve months.

Another sticking point was the minimum wage. The subject has not been clarified, said negotiator Loroch. A few thousand employees only receive this from the company in the form of bonuses. Even before the substantive tariff talks, the EVG wants to set the statutory minimum wage of twelve euros per hour in the tariff tables.

Deutsche Bahn, in turn, reiterated its proposal for a minimum wage of 13 euros, which should appear in the tables from August 2024. The union strictly rejects this.

“The EVG insists on preconditions, although there is an enormous offer on the table,” said Group HR Director Martin Seiler on Tuesday. The railway is ready to negotiate further points with a view to the overall result. “We regret that our employees have to continue to wait for a wage increase despite the increased prices,” it said.

More warning strikes are threatened

The union is not only making its demands on Deutsche Bahn. It is gradually negotiating this with 50 companies in the railway sector. If the talks at Deutsche Bahn are unsuccessful these days, it will therefore take a few more weeks before both sides are back at the negotiating table. In the meantime, there is plenty of time for more warning strikes.

Last Friday, the EVG paralyzed long-distance and regional traffic for a few hours. She has made it clear that she is ready for further escalation. If the talks are broken off, ballots and indefinite strikes are also possible.

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