At the end of March 2018 Deutsche Bahn’s social partners signed a framework agreement on digitalization for the German rail company and on the means for establishing a ‘sustainable transformation culture within its teams. The new agreement sets as a principle the obligation on company management to collaborate closely with employees and their representatives, on a level playing field and in a timely fashion. The agreement also establishes a ‘digital pact’ so that employees will necessarily be able to benefit from some of the productivity gains that digitalization will bring to the company. Finally, the agreement encourages entrepreneurial spirit within the company via, inter alia, the ‘Beyond1435’ internal and external innovation platform.
No digitalization without a new social pact. Deutsche Bahn is not wavering from its digital course. The ‘Work 4.0” collective agreement that was signed at the end of 2016 has already introduced new initiatives (c.f. article No. 9969). For example ‘Work 4.0’ introduced joint management-employee representative assessments of the impact that digitalization has had on work organization and jobs. It has also put in place the right to training for all employees whose job functions will evolve or disappear once their business activity is ‘digitized’. Similarly several different provision for mobile working have been introduced as well as the possibility for employees to choose where they work, as long as their work can be undertaken offsite.
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