Deutsche Bahn and train drivers reach agreement on wages

(Patria) - German railway operator Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers' union GDL have reached an agreement on wages that has caused months of strikes in the country, the union announced on Monday.

"The German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn have reached a wage agreement",
GDL stated in a press release. Further details will be announced at a press conference today, they added.

A spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn also confirmed to AFP that an agreement had been reached.
Train drivers have gone on strike six times since November, causing disruptions for a large number of passengers. The strikes often lasted for several days and also caused disruptions in freight transport, with the last interruption in mid-March. At the end of January, rail traffic was paralyzed for five days on the national network in one of the longest strikes in Deutsche Bahn's history.

GDL was seeking more money for its members, as well as a 35-hour work week for the same pay as during the current 38-hour week. Deutsche Bahn recently offered up to 13 percent more in wages, as well as the possibility of reducing the work week to 37 hours starting in 2026.

Europe's largest economy has been facing industrial crises for months as workers and management in several sectors struggle over conditions amid high inflation and weak business activity.

The strikes have worsened the bleak economic picture, with the German economy shrinking by 0.3 percent last year. Last year's disruptions cost Deutsche Bahn around 200 million euros, according to the operator's estimates, which recorded a total net loss for 2023 of 2.35 billion euros.

Historically, Germany has been among the countries in Europe where workers strike the least.
But since the end of 2022, there has been growing worker unrest in the country, while real wages have fallen by four percent since the start of the war in Ukraine.

German airline Lufthansa is also in a dispute over wages with ground and cabin staff. Several strikes have severely disrupted the group's operations in recent weeks and will affect first-quarter results, according to the group's management. Airport security staff have also organized several walkouts since January.