Agreement reached in German train drivers' strike: Working hours were the point of contention

The German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) announced that an agreement has been reached with German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) to increase the wages of train drivers following the sixth strike in 4 months.

The statement included the following: "GDL and Deutsche Bahn have reached an agreement for a collective bargaining contract. GDL will hold a press conference tomorrow to explain the details of the agreement."

The union had been demanding a monthly average raise of 550 euros and a one-time payment of up to 3,000 euros to combat inflation for employees at railway companies, primarily train drivers.

WORKING HOURS WERE THE POINT OF CONTENTION

The union's demand to reduce the working hours of shift workers from 38 to 35 hours per week without any reduction in wages was the main point of contention between GDL and German Railways.

The train drivers' strikes over the last four months brought a large portion of local and long-distance transport across the country to a standstill, and freight train transport was halted.

"STRIKE WOULD CAUSE A LOSS OF 100 MILLION EUROS PER DAY..."

The German Economic Institute (IW Köln) had noted that the railway strike would cause a loss of approximately 100 million euros per day.

Meanwhile, protests and strikes are still ongoing in Germany due to disputes between employers and unions over wages and working conditions.

WARNING STRIKES FOR HIGHER WAGES

Unions representing pilots, flight attendants, and ground staff at the German airline Lufthansa and its subsidiaries are also continuing to conduct negotiations regarding wage increases and working conditions.

Lufthansa's ground and cabin crew have been holding warning strikes in recent days for higher wages.

News Source: AA