News & Reviews News Wire German rail drivers agree to new contract

German rail drivers agree to new contract

By Trains Staff | September 16, 2021

| Last updated on May 30, 2024


Deal comes after three strikes by GDL union

Deutsche Bahn logoBERLIN — German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and the union representing train drivers have agreed on a new contract, ending a dispute that saw the nation hit by three rail strikes in less than a month.

Broadcaster DW reports the deal with the GDL union was announced by the premiers of the German states of Lower Saxony and Schlewsig-Holstein on Thursday. It includes a wage increase of 3.3% in two stages — 1.5% on Dec. 1 and 1.8% on March 1, 2023, as well as two bonus payments of 800 to 1,000 Euros ($940-$1,180).

Officials of a larger rail union, EVG, which had already agreed to a smaller deal, said they would seek renegotiation of their contract and did not rule out the possibility of strikes.

The GDL held two short strikes in August before a Sept. 1-7 walkout that was the second longest in the nation’s history [see “Third German rail strike ends,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 7, 2021].

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