There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) said that a deal for a new collective bargaining agreement should be expected in the coming days. “Until then, the GDL will refrain from further strikes”, the parties stated in a joint note.
Five months of negotiations, six rounds of strikes and four attempts to pursue legal action. This is the aftermath of the DB vs GDL saga, which started in November and now seems to be reaching an end. The parties agreed to secrecy and confidentiality, thus the details of the agreement are not yet clear. They did specify that “the negotiations are intensive but constructive. An understanding was reached on many topics”.
DB vs GDL: a quick recap
The first 20-hour strike took place in mid-November. It was then followed by a 28-hour initiative in early December. After a truce called for the holiday period, GDL upped the ante, calling for a three-day strike in early January. DB tried to avoid this strike by taking the matter in front of two labour courts, which both ruled in favour of the union. The fourth time GDL went on strike, at the end of January, it was for a whole week. The union then sent a proposal to DB to resume negotiations, which went on for the whole month of February. However, in March, things took a wrong turn once again and a 35-hour strike was organised. This was followed by the sixth and final strike, lasting 24 hours between 11 and 12 March, which also led to DB taking the matter to court with no success.
