Tuesday, April 8
Strike deal reached: BVG agrees pay rise for workers
Over the weekend, Berlin appeared to be on the cusp of an indefinite strike. On Friday, the Verdi union announced that the ballot of its members had returned a 94.5 percent vote in favour of taking extended industrial action if the latest round of negotiations failed. The pressure was on as the two parties—who had failed to reach an agreement over multiple rounds of talks—underwent arbitration, with external representatives brought in to help resolve the conflict. At the final hour, it appears those talks have been successfully concluded.
BVG employees will now receive a total monthly increase of €430. The first raise of €380 will take effect on 1 June, with a further €50 added to their salary one year later. A one-time payment of €1,500 has also been agreed for the first half of the year.
For some time, BVG has been attempting to introduce a 35-hour, four-day working week for its employees, which the board believes is necessary to attract new drivers. In these negotiations, it was agreed that drivers would have the discretion to increase their working hours from the current 37.5 per week to 39 hours, with a corresponding pay increase.
This deal ends a dispute that has lasted throughout the year. Berlin has experienced five BVG strikes since mid-January, each lasting one to two days. The proposed agreement represents something of a compromise: Verdi had demanded a monthly increase of €750, which BVG described as unaffordable. The union has indicated that it would accept the proposal, which will last for two years—after which, negotiations may begin all over again.
