Protest against job cuts: GDL calls for a demonstration in front of Dresden Central Station!

Protest against job cuts: GDL calls for a demonstration in front of Dresden Central Station!

In Dresden, train operations are being prepared for a significant change that will affect many employees and passengers. The German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) is mobilizing for a demonstration to protest against planned cuts in customer service. From December 2027, around 80 percent of S-Bahn trains will run without customer service representatives, a move that not only endangers the quality of service but also puts the jobs of up to 90 people in the region at risk MDR reported.

Today, November 12, 2025, it appears that the S-Bahn in Dresden is currently still running as scheduled with a customer advisor who is responsible for ticket checks and assistance. But the future looks different. By 2030, the Oberelbe Transport Association (VVO) plans to only employ a customer advisor on every fifth S-Bahn train. The GDL and the employees fear that this will not only mean the loss of their jobs, but also reduce the quality of rail transport. “Punctuality could suffer,” the union fears, if train drivers have to take on additional tasks, such as supporting passengers in need of help.

Protests for safe jobs

Deutsche Bahn train attendants are called on to protest in Dresden on Wednesday to draw attention to the impending loss of their jobs. Despite the assurances of VVO spokesman Christian Schlemper that there should be no layoffs and that socially acceptable departures would occur through retirement, the employees' concerns remain. “For most of us, this is not a reassuring offer,” said an affected employee who wished to remain anonymous.

Currently, around 30 percent of passengers on the S-Bahn are checked, with the focus particularly on weekend and evening journeys. The GDL wants more regional federal funding to be made available for rail passenger transport. A meeting with Saxony's Infrastructure Minister Regina Kraushaar is planned to discuss the employees' concerns.

The backstory of the cuts

What is driving the VVO’s austerity plans? It is the financial emergency that requires the development of a new personnel concept. VVO plans to drastically reduce controls without giving many concrete figures. For the GDL it is clear: Savings are being made in the wrong places, which could lead to a noticeable decline in fare revenue. The reports about possible savings are met with massive criticism because a lower density of controls could endanger the safety of train operations.

In this tense situation, not only the employees are in the foreground, but also the needs of the passengers. If service on trains is eliminated, it could impact many people's travel experiences. And all of this happens against the background that the train attendants not only have control tasks, but also offer important assistance, especially for passengers with limited mobility.

As the situation worsens, it remains to be seen how the population will react to the impending cuts. The GDL is in a key position to represent the interests of those affected while the trains continue to run at their usual pace.

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But back to rail transport: The coming weeks and months will be decisive as to whether the plans for the S-Bahn in Dresden can be implemented as planned or whether the protests of the employees and the concerns of the passengers will be heard. The fact is: There is something going on in the state capital and the developments are of utmost importance for many.