„Weihnachtsfrieden“ zu Ende – Mögliche Streiks bei der Bahn
Sonntag, 7. Januar, 04.00 Uhr: Fahrgäste müssen ab kommendem Montag wieder mit Ungewissheit im Bahnverkehr rechnen, da das selbst auferlegte „Weihnachtsfrieden“ der Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer (GDL) im Tarifkonflikt mit der Deutschen Bahn und anderen Unternehmen endet. Ausstände könnten nun deutlich länger dauern, da rund 97 Prozent der GDL-Mitglieder in der Vorweihnachtszeit für unbefristete Streiks gestimmt haben.
Zum Glück soll zumindest am Montag und Dienstag der Zugverkehr in Deutschland planmäßig verlaufen. Die wichtige Tagung des Deutschen Beamtenbunds (dbb), in dem die GDL Mitglied ist, werde laut dbb-Chef Ulrich Silberbach nicht durch Arbeitskämpfe bei der Bahn beeinträchtigt. Er erklärte, dass es während der Tagung in Köln keine Streiks geben werde. Die An- und Abreise sei gesichert, jedoch liege das Geschehen danach nicht in seiner Hand.
Ab Mittwoch ist jederzeit mit möglichen Streiks auf der Schiene zu rechnen, da eine Annäherung in der Tarifauseinandersetzung nicht in Sicht ist, obwohl die Bahn ihr bisheriges Angebot erweitert hat. Trotzdem zeigt sie kein Interesse an dem vollen Lohnausgleich, den die GDL fordert.
Deutsche Bahn will drohende Streiks durch neues Angebot abwenden
12.45 Uhr: Die Deutsche Bahn versucht, den möglichen mehrtägigen Streik der Gewerkschaft GDL nächste Woche durch ein neues Angebot zu verhindern. „Wir kommen der GDL bei ihrer Kernforderung jetzt weit entgegen“, sagt Personalvorstand Martin Seiler in einem Interview. Die Bahn will nun über zusätzliche Wahlmodelle für Schichtarbeiter verhandeln, die dann statt 38 nur noch 35 Stunden arbeiten könnten – oder auch 40 Stunden. Jeder könne in einer Cafeteria auswählen.
Auch beim geforderten Lohnausgleich zeigt sich die Bahn gesprächsbereit und sie betont, dass die GDL auf überflüssige Streiks verzichten müsse.
Die Bahn bietet auch die Möglichkeit, dass Mitarbeiter in Betrieben mit GDL-Tarifvertrag künftig per App ihre Schicht wählen können, wie es bereits in Betrieben mit Tarifvertrag der Gewerkschaft EVG praktiziert wird. So könnten sie in 80 Prozent der Fälle die gewünschten Schichten erhalten. Die Bahn lässt auch Spielraum für eine stärkere Lohnerhöhung: „Natürlich gibt es bei einem Angebot immer dann Spielräume, wenn am Ende alles stimmt“, sagt Seiler.
Deutschland droht im Januar eine besondere Belastung durch Streiks in Schlüsselbranchen
Freitag, 5. Januar, 10.05 Uhr: Eine Streikwelle in wichtigen Branchen wie Landwirtschaft und Bahnrolle auf Deutschland zu und könnten für eine bedeutende Belastung im kommenden Januar sorgen.
Traffic. Despite the concessions made by the traffic light, the farmers intend to carry out a general strike starting from January 8, while the GDL is flirting with labor disputes.
Rail industry intensifies efforts to recruit more train drivers
Thursday, January 4, 9:18 AM: The rail industry in North Rhine-Westphalia wants to expand its job campaign against the shortage of train drivers in the new year. In 2023, 420 people in North Rhine-Westphalia qualified as train drivers, according to the Fokus Bahn NRW alliance. Now the state is providing an additional six million euros to increase the number of new train drivers in 2024 by at least 50 percent. In North Rhine-Westphalia, five percent of trains were canceled at very short notice recently, with the most frequent reason being the lack of personnel.
According to the industry, there are already over 150 out of approximately 3300 train driver positions vacant, and more than 600 other train drivers are set to retire by 2027. The reduction in the weekly working hours, for which the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) is planning to strike in the coming weeks, hasn’t even been factored in yet. Such a collective agreement would lead to “massive additional needs for several hundred train drivers,” says a spokesperson for the Fokus Bahn state program.
In its job campaign, the industry is particularly targeting career changers who can be retrained for a new job as a train driver in just over a year. This is a faster solution to the staffing shortage than the traditional three-year training. Programs for dispatchers and customer service representatives are also being expanded under the Fokus Bahn initiative. Since 2019, politics and eleven railway companies have joined forces in the Fokus Bahn NRW initiative to consolidate their efforts in personnel recruitment.
Representatives of the responsible transport associations do not expect that this will lead to short-term changes in the numerous train cancellations due to staff shortages.
Deutsche Bahn sues train drivers’ union
8:06 PM: The Deutsche Bahn (DB) is suing the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL). The reason for the lawsuit is said to be the establishment of the temporary worker co-operative Fair Train. It will now be legally clarified whether the GDL has lost its tariff capability as a result of this. More about this here.
These strikes await us in 2024
Tuesday, January 2, 2024, 3:03 PM: In the new year, several strikes are expected. In the railway industry, it is anticipated that the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) will strike starting from January 8. GDL chief Klaus Weselsky has already announced that the strikes could last up to five days. This will have an impact on long-distance and regional traffic, S-Bahn trains, and some private operators. The GDL is demanding negotiations for a 35-hour week instead of the 38-hour week.
In the retail sector, employees could also prepare for strikes. The negotiations between the Verdi trade union and the employers’ associations, which have been ongoing since last spring, could not be concluded by the end of the year. Verdi wants to enforce so-called poverty-proof incomes. It is expected that the union will call for strike actions in January.
In February and March, there are collective bargaining negotiations in the construction industry and the printing industry. Around twelve million employees are affected in these sectors. The chemical industry will also commence negotiations from June onwards. For all these industries, the discussions could be challenging due to the strained economic situation.
Similarly, in the metal andDie electrical industry, one of the largest manufacturing sectors with approximately 3.6 million employees nationwide, is expected to see a wage negotiation this autumn. It remains uncertain whether the IG Metall will demand a four-day workweek with full wage compensation, similar to what was done in the steel industry last year. However, this demand has already faced strong criticism from employers.
Preliminary preparations for wage negotiations in the public sector and at the postal service are set to commence at the end of 2024 and are scheduled to begin in 2025. This could impact daycares, waste collection, public transportation in Bavaria, and the delivery of letters and packages.
Wage negotiations in the Retail Sector are Underway
Friday, December 29, 2023, 06:48 AM: After weeks of hiatus, negotiations for the retail sector’s wage conflict have resumed. In Hamburg, both sides resumed talks on Thursday morning for the first time since the regional wage negotiations were interrupted in November, as announced by the Verdi union. An agreement in this wage region could serve as a blueprint for the other 13 districts where negotiations are still pending. The German Retail Association (HDE) sees Thursday’s round as the “last opportunity for an agreement this year.”
Shortly before Christmas, Verdi attempted to exert pressure on the employers’ side once again with a nationwide warning strike. According to Corinna Groß, the national department head of retail at the Verdi Federal Executive Board, an agreement in Hamburg is only possible with a further improved offer. “We do not accept wage dictates! Therefore, we expect the employers to move and hope that we can reach an agreement for the employees in the Hanseatic city.”
The North German Retail Association entered into the talks based on its previous offer. The employers are offering 10.24% more wages for a term of 24 months, as well as a tax and duty-free inflation compensation bonus totaling 750 euros. Additionally, the employers have issued an ultimatum stating, “This offer is guaranteed only until December 31, 2023.” Verdi is demanding at least an additional 2.50 euros per hour in wages across all regions in the retail sector and a term of one year.
Criticism of Practice Closures – Lauterbach against Calls for More Money
12:56 PM: In view of doctor protests with closed practices, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has promised better working conditions but continues to reject demands for more money. “I do not see any room for increasing fees,” said the SPD politician on ZDF. Practices need less bureaucracy, and money must be distributed more fairly. The minister has announced a meeting for improvements, especially for general practitioners, in January. Criticism of practice closures also came from the traffic light coalition and the statutory health insurance funds.
Medical associations had called for practices to remain closed nationwide between the years. The action, scheduled to continue until this Friday, is part of the “Practice in Need” campaign. Dirk Heinrich, the chairman of the Virchow Alliance of General Practitioners, said on Thursday that Lauterbach’s reaction indicates that the protests are right and important and that a longer breath may be needed. “We have this long breath.” It’s not about increasing doctors’ income, but about adequate and sustainable funding of existing outpatient structures.
For more information on the warning strikes, visit the next pages
