Germany’s primary railway operator and a union representing many of its train drivers have reached an agreement following a long battle over working hours and compensation that included a series of strikes, the union announced Monday.
Neither the GDL union nor the state-owned train operator Deutsche Bahn provided details about their agreement. Both scheduled separate comments for Tuesday.
GDL regularly called for Deutsche Bahn drivers to go on strike during the months-long labour dispute.
It was the most persistently disruptive of numerous pay disputes in the transport sector that occurred recently. Others have included local transportation workers, Lufthansa ground staff and cabin crew, as well as airport security personnel.
The biggest sticking point was GDL’s demand to reduce working hours from 38 to 35 hours per week without a wage drop. Some smaller commercial operators that provide regional services agreed to meet the demand.
It was not immediately obvious how GDL and Deutsche Bahn rectified the situation.
