German rail strikes come to an end after Deutsche Bahn and GDL reach deal

After three rounds of escalating strikes, Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers’ union GDL have finally reached a deal on workers’ salaries. 

Deutsche Bahn train drivers to receive 3,3 percent pay increase

Train drivers belonging to the GDL union will receive a 3,3 percent pay increase, union boss Claus Weselsky confirmed during a press conference on Thursday - signalling that the strikes that have caused widespread disruption to trains in Germany over the past two months will finally come to an end. 

Salaries will initially rise by 1,5 percent in December 2021, and then by a further 1,8 percent in March 2023. Workers will also receive a corona bonus of up to 600 euros in their December paypackets, with the exact amount depending on their wage bracket. Then in March 2022, all employees can look forward to a 400-euro bonus. 

Strikes caused disruption across Germany

The agreement, which Weselsky described as a “compromise” that train drivers had “earned”, is very similar to what the union has been demanding since the beginning. In return, GDL has agreed that the company pension scheme can be restructured, so that new employees will not be eligible for supplementary pensions from 2022 onwards. 

Mark Seiler, personnel director of Deutsche Bahn, said at the press conference, “This agreement puts us on track for a strong future.” 

The railway company had to contend with three rounds of strikes after union members voted in favour of industrial action at the beginning of August. The strikes, the longest of which lasted five days, caused major disruption to freight and passenger services across Germany, and at its height forced Deutsche Bahn to cancel around three-quarters of regular services.