Thuringian bus drivers should receive more wages. As the Association of Central German Bus Companies eV (MDO) announced on Monday, the bus companies have agreed on a new collective agreement with the Verdi union. According to this, the employees and trainees receive an inflation premium of 3,000 euros. The contract runs until the end of 2024. Wages are to increase by 19.5 percent over four stages.
Trainee remuneration will also be increased. Regarding the remuneration, it was said without further details that they would be “raised to a level customary in the industry”. The union members are still to be questioned about the outcome. The approval of the MDO member companies is still pending.
Employers speak of compromise
The employer’s chief negotiator, Tilman Wagenknecht, spoke of a compromise. “The union has been struggling, inflation is hitting lower income groups hard, and we need to secure our next generation of workers.” In addition, other collective bargaining agreements, some of which are significantly higher, would set the pace in Thuringia.