Strike-hit German rail operator agrees to 35-hour week

Frankfurt, Germany: German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said on Tuesday it had agreed with the GDL union to shorten train drivers working week, ending...

Frankfurt, Germany: German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said on Tuesday it had agreed with the GDL union to shorten train drivers' working week, ending a months-long row that caused strikes across the country.

"It was a difficult road," Deutsche Bahn's human resources director Martin Seiler said at a Berlin press conference. "But in the end we were able to reach an intelligent compromise."

From 2026, the standard working week will be gradually reduced from 38 hours to 35 hours by 2029 -- at full pay.

Train drivers will, however, have the option of working more if they want to, up to 40 hours per week, at 2.7 percent more salary per additional hour.

"Our colleagues can decide for themselves which weekly working hours suit them and their lifestyle best," Seiler said.