In the second round of negotiations on 23 May 2025, the railway union EVG and the railway companies Westfälische Landes-Eisenbahn (WLE), Regionalverkehr Ruhr-Lippe (RLG), and Regionalverkehr Münsterland (RVM) agreed on a new collective agreement. Employees will receive a one-time payment of € 900 in July, part-time workers a pro rata payment, and trainees € 450. Starting 1 July 2025, wages will increase by 2%, with a further increase of 2% following on 1 July 2026. Trainees will receive € 50 more per month in both stages. Starting 1 January 2026, there will be more freedom of choice regarding weekly working hours. Full-time employees will then be able to choose between 38, 39, or 40 hours per week – with a corresponding adjustment in pay. The agreement is intended to provide financial relief for employees while simultaneously improving work-life balance.
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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.