Train strike at the end of next week? How he is still to be prevented – economy

A big secret is being kept about the wage conflict that millions of train passengers are looking at. The railways and the EVG union want to meet, but they are adamant about the details. No word on when they’re getting together, or where, or what exactly is being talked about. As the Southgerman newspaper learned that the talks are to take place as soon as Monday and will be quite significant for all train passengers: if they do not go smoothly, there should be a widespread strike at the end of next week.

The wage negotiations for around 200,000 employees, especially at Deutsche Bahn, are this time more difficult than ever. Because of the high inflation the EVG union is under pressure to get significant salary increases. Its members see a particular need to catch up, because the EVG had agreed to far lower wage increases than other unions for 2021 and 2022, since the railways were making huge losses due to the corona virus. The EVG demands twelve percent more salary for one year, but at least 650 euros. In March and April, it paralyzed train traffic for almost a day each. In mid-May, a strike lasting more than two days was called off at the last minute. Because last week’s negotiations made no progress, planning is now under way for the next industrial action.

“There will certainly be a warning strike in the short term,” announced EVG negotiator Cosima Ingenschay. Taking previous statements as a benchmark, the actions will paralyze train services for more than a day. This would disturb millions of travelers, and there are Pentecost holidays in several federal states.

The union is now sending out the signal that the strike can be prevented. The train accepted your suggestion to meet up. Whether there will be a new industrial dispute depends on this meeting early next week. The union is expecting a new offer from the group, which has so far offered an inflation premium plus a permanently higher salary: employees with higher incomes should receive eight percent more, those on low wages twelve percent. Because the railway wants to spread these increases over two years, there is quite a gap to the EVG requirement of twelve percent for one year.

It now depends on the willingness to compromise whether there will be strikes

The biggest point of contention is that the EVG expects a minimum wage increase. The 20,000 low earners such as cleaning and security staff would particularly benefit from this. The required 650 euros would mean a wage increase of 25 percent for them. Those who earn little suffer particularly from inflation, as they spend a large proportion of their salary on food and energy, which have become particularly expensive. So far, the railway has blocked itself against a minimum amount. This would increase personnel costs so much that they would possibly be inferior to competitors when regional train routes are advertised, it is said.

The railway indicates that in the end it is willing to pay the minimum amount in order to achieve a wage deal. Whether or not there will be strikes now depends on this willingness to compromise. If the EVG does not receive an offer during the secret talks at the beginning of next week that it believes is worth continuing to negotiate, the strike machinery is likely to start. The union will continue to give at least two days’ notice of industrial action so travelers can reschedule if possible. As a result, millions of travelers could see strikes by the end of the week.

As a precaution, the EVG declares that the willingness to engage in further labor disputes is still high. The approximately 100,000 visitors from all over Germany who are expected to attend the Evangelical Church Congress in Nuremberg should be watching the situation closely: It takes place from Wednesday to Sunday – and the Church Congress promotes travel by train for ecological reasons.