Two unions, two sizes. The two unions, which have been working together since 2005, want to merge to better deal with the “drastic changes” which shook up the transport sector, the possible partial privatization of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the coming wage negotiations with the DB in 2010 (see our dispatch No. 090958). Approved last week by the two unions’ leading committees, the merger process still needs to be accepted by GDBA members, on December 10 at an extraordinary congress in Fulda. However, even though the outcome of the vote isn’t a problem, negotiations won’t necessarily be easy. Indeed, there are many challenges. First: unions’ different sizes; Transnet has about 320,000 members (all rail employees) while the GDBA only has about 40,000 (DB civil servants). Alexander Kirchner, head of Transnet, tried to put GDBA’s members at rest and explained that their union wouldn’t be “absorbed” by Transnet and that negotiations will be held “on an equal footing.” They will lead to the creation of a new union, with a new name which still hasn’t been found, and new statuses.
ere are many challenges. First: unions’ different sizes; Transnet has about 320,000 members (all rail employees) while the GDBA only has about 40,000 (DB civil servants). Alexander Kirchner, head of Transnet, tried to put GDBA’s members at rest and explained that their union wouldn’t be “absorbed” by Transnet and that negotiations will be held “on an equal footing.” They will lead to the creation of a new union, with a new name which still hasn’t been found, and new statuses.
The future union sh
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