Germany: Hans-Böckler foundation says increased competition in urban mass transportation intensified drivers’ workload

Communal transport companies are under pressure.  Carried out by consultant Hubert Resch for the Hans-Böckler foundation, the study, entitled “Intensification of drivers’ work following restructurings in urban mass transportation”*, begins with an observation which can at first seem paradoxical.  Thus, in spite of Community regulation Nr. 1370/2007 which allows towns to award a public service contract, either directly or via a call for tender, to the local transport operator, most big cities in Germany continued, as they did in the past, to award their communal urban transport firms the contract for bus and tram networks.  Therefore, bus and tram drivers never changed employers.  Yet, their working conditions have gotten worse since.  The author says that this situation comes from the restructurings and savings made by the communal transport firms to meet the new financial constraints imposed by the towns.  According to Resch, these businesses are aware that a “sword of Damocles” is hanging over their heads: if they don’t comply with the cost cutting objectives defined by the towns, they might loose their contract if the towns launch a call for tender at European level.  “As a result, many transportation firms increased their productivity and reduced their costs.  Many jobs were cut, working time was increased and pay was cut, particularly for new hires” Resch explains.  He surveyed bus and tram drivers, working list operators, employee representatives as well as personnel managers from five big communal transport firms in Germany.