Progress in wage dispute: More rest for public transport employees in North Rhine-Westphalia

After intense discussions and repeated strike actions, relief is in sight for around 30,000 employees of the municipal transport companies in North Rhine-Westphalia. The Verdi union announced a breakthrough: its members endorsed the negotiated wage settlement in a referendum, which is based on a preceding arbitration recommendation. Verdi's NRW tariff commission, as well as the municipal employers' association KAV NW, had previously indicated consent. The tariff package offers employees up to four relief days depending on the contract duration, with two days off to apply for everyone this year. An additional relief day is planned for each of the years 2025 and 2026. Moreover, there is a gradual increase in the annual special payment to 100 percent and an adjustment of the time supplements. Verdi negotiator Heinz Rech highlighted the significance of the agreement and emphasized the comprehensive relief achieved without excluding any group of workers. The need for such an outcome was unmistakable, given the efforts of the strikes and the general stress situation. Preceding this were several strikes in NRW that negatively impacted public transportation. Transport companies such as KVB in Cologne, Rheinbahn in Düsseldorf, DSW21 in Dortmund, and Stadtwerke Münster were in the crosshairs of the industrial action measures. ASEAG in Aachen was an exception, as it has its own company collective agreement. Eventually, the differences culminated in a referendum on open-ended strikes, which found significant support among union members. A rapprochement was achieved with an improved offer from the employers, including the additional days off, and resulted in the current outcome after the fourth round of negotiations initially stalled. Without a willingness to engage in arbitration proceedings, commuters might have had to brace themselves for further strikes.