Employment conditions
Collective bargaining negotiations not yet concluded
Our aim in this collective bargaining negotiation with the German Train Drivers’ Union (Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer; GDL) is to agree a collective wage package that is appropriate to the economic situation in order to ensure DB Groupʼs readiness for the future. The GDL had terminated all relevant collective agreements with DB Group with effect from December 31, 2020 respectively February 28, 2021. The GDL had previously refused to join the Alliance For Our Railway initiated by the Federal Government. The trade union leadership has rejected several offers from DB Group and declared that the negotiations had failed after the fourth round of negotiations. The GDL has initiated a strike ballot and announced strikes.
The German Collective Bargaining Agreement Act applied
Since January 1, 2021, DB Group has had to apply the German Collective Bargaining Agreement Act (Tarifeinheitsgesetz; TEG). As long as there is no joint agreement with both trade unions involved, the TEG is to be applied to DB branches in which the Railway and Transport Workers Union (Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft; EVG) and the GDL represent the same professional groups; 71 of DB Groupʼs 300 branches are affected. At 55 branches, only the regulations with the EVG will be applied in future. At 16 branches, however, train drivers and train personnel are only subject to the collective bargaining agreements of the GDL. DB Group is offering both trade unions an orderly coexistence and is prepared to hold appropriate discussions and conclude agreements.
The future of work and diversity
- The DB team is a reflection of society and is diverse. We employ employees from four generations and over 100 different cultures.