A warning appears on the ticker: GDL and Bahn negotiate again

GDL and Deutsche Bahn are in talks

Saturday, January 27, 10:50 a.m.: Deutsche Bahn and the GDL train drivers' union held talks on Saturday evening during the ongoing strike. The German Press Agency learned about this in negotiating circles. Nothing was known about the content or possible results. The “Bild” newspaper had previously reported on the discussions.

The German locomotive drivers' union (GDL) has been on strike for several days at Deutsche Bahn to increase pressure on the federal company in the context of the current collective dispute. The union demands, among other things, a three-hour reduction in the weekly working hours of shift workers with the same salary.

Until now, the railway has offered that drivers and train drivers can opt for one hour less work or a new salary increase from January 2026. The GDL rejected this suggestion.

Weselsky, head of GDL: There are no reasons to return to negotiations

12:34 pm: The president of the German locomotive drivers' union (GDL), Claus Weselsky, sees no reason at the moment to continue with collective bargaining. “We must put an end to false offers,” he said Friday at a rally on the fourth day of the strike in Dresden. He criticized that the employers only “move by millimeters” and only want to negotiate certain things, such as the collective agreement for delivery workers. “These are fundamental rights, so I will not go to arbitration or to the negotiating table.”

The latest offer of a 37-hour week is also not an option for Weselsky due to the half-hearted claim that it only works if there are enough staff. He pointed out that 18 railway companies have already committed to accompanying the reduction in hours with hiring and training.

Despite the significant impact on commuters and commuters, Weselsky defended the rail strike planned through Monday night. Protest actions for better income and working conditions are neither indecent nor criminal. The atmosphere was excellent, he said. “Above all, I don't wish our passengers that anyone wants to know how long we can last as GDL.” And there is broad support from the unions. “No one should assume there will be a loss of solidarity.”

Railway representative demands willingness to dialogue

Friday, January 26, 4:00 am: The federal government's railway commissioner, Michael Theurer, called for a willingness to engage in dialogue “on all sides” about the train drivers' strike and the tariff dispute on the railway. “No one can insist on maximum positions at the negotiating table,” said the Secretary of State for Transport at the German Press Agency in Berlin. “In the end, Deutsche Bahn and its employees are equally dependent on the social acceptance of the railway as a means of transport. The increase in taxpayers' money for the maintenance and expansion of the railway network directly depends on it.”

The collective bargaining conflict should not continue to be fought at the expense of a working society. “Our economy depends on functioning infrastructure,” Theurer said. “Employees have to reach the workplace, products have to reach customers and intermediate products have to reach companies. “Germany is not in a position to permanently paralyze rail transport.”

CDU parliamentary group: GDL railway strike endangers transport recovery

13:27: In the event of a strike such as the one currently taking place at Deutsche Bahn, the CDU parliamentary group in Schwerin believes that there should be the possibility of accelerating the arbitration procedures. During such an independent procedure there must be a duty of peace and all strikes must be suspended, the CDU parliamentary group's transport policy spokesperson, Daniel Peters, demanded on Thursday. He advocated adapting legal regulations “to core tasks and infrastructure.”

Due to the national strike of the German Locomotive Drivers' Union (GDL), restrictions were also imposed on rail traffic in the north on the second day of the strike. “The completely failed collective negotiations between the GDL and the Bahn periodically paralyze the entire republic. This strike has a huge impact, not only for passengers, but also for freight transport. The noble objectives of the transport transition are in danger because the GDL has been offering arguments in favor of cars and against trains for weeks,” Peters warned. He does not understand much about a strike that is not accompanied by serious negotiations.

Pilots and flight attendants at Lufthansa's Discover holiday airline are on strike together

8:03 am: At Lufthansa subsidiary Discover, pilots and flight attendants will go on a 24-hour strike on Friday. The unions Cockpit Association (VC) and Independent Flight Attendants Organization (UFO) announced the unusual joint action at the holiday airline on Wednesday evening. The airline's management “opposes standard collective agreements both in the cockpit and in the cabin and delays or even refuses to negotiate,” they explained.

VC had already organized a five-hour warning strike shortly before Christmas. Pilots demand, among other things, the introduction of a pay scale and new regulations on flight and rest times. Unfortunately, the new year continued “as the previous one ended: they kept delaying us,” explained union representative Marcel Gröls.

According to Harry Jaeger of UFO, for cabin crew the important thing is working conditions and remuneration, and first of all, starting collective bargaining. So far, attempts have been “systematically rejected.” “You finally need sufficient, predictable free time, as well as a salary you can live on,” explains Jaeger.

Discover Airlines, known until September as Eurowings Discover, is the new holiday airline of the Lufthansa group. The airline is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, operates a fleet of 24 aircraft that fly to short, medium and long-haul tourist destinations and employs around 2,000 people.

The unions did not provide any information on how many flights were affected by the strike.

Expert: Risks for GDL grow again strike

Thursday, January 25, 5:00 am: According to an expert, the GDL union is taking an increasingly risky course with its harsh strike on the railway. “After this strike, we have to talk to each other again, ideally under the guidance of an independent moderator,” tariff expert Hagen Lesch of the Institute of German Economics (IW) in Cologne told the German Press Agency.

The GDL must prevent public opinion from turning against the train drivers. This is a major influencing factor when it comes to keeping your own members in line. “Another round of strikes without prior negotiations could be a media disaster for the GDL. “This could also be a turning point in members' willingness to strike,” Lesch said.

With public criticism becoming harsher, the GDL's financial support for strike pay by the German Association of Civil Servants is also being questioned. Those responsible had already urged the GDL to mediate in the 2015 railway collective conflict.

“Unlike a moderator, there is simply no progress in the current situation,” says union researcher Lesch. Deutsche Bahn suggested it from the beginning. So far, the GDL has rejected such a procedure.

One problem is the hardened fronts, says Lesch. According to the GDL, the railroad refuses to negotiate a collective maintenance agreement with the GDL. In turn, the GDL makes this a prerequisite for new negotiations, says Lesch. Under the guidance of a moderator, there is an opportunity to put those lines of confrontation on the back burner and put issues on the agenda where it is easier to reach agreement. This is necessary even to re-engage in conversations.

You can read more information about warning attacks on the following pages.