Renew a serene dialogue with trade unions

It's official since yesterday: the Minister of transport German, Wolfgang Tiefensee, proposes Rüdiger Grube as future boss of Deutsche Bahn. Member of the Executive Board of the car manufacturer Daimler, this fifty-seven years Hamburg is presented as a clever person, open to dialogue, close to the unions. Of highly qualified, while the style of management of Hartmut Mehdorn, fell Monday on a case of espionage employees, plunged the representatives of the employees in a profound state of exasperation. Chairman of the Board of Directors of EADS, Rüdiger Grube was also able, in this position, the diplomatic skills which was its predecessor.

His actual appointment will not, however, intervene without controversy. The unions, in a position of strength, show reservations. Transnet and GDBA patterns were able to speak with him as a 20-minute, Wednesday. Insufficient, according to them, for opinion documented human and... its strategy. Unions should publicize their decision Monday, at the earliest. They do everything possible to obtain a possible clear distancing from the partial privatisation project. They have already obtained a first success. While the Government has a time considered a bicephalous direction, with a distinct pattern for the parent and the created entity last year in the entry in the stock market, he ultimately backed. A duumvirat would obviously was seen as a further step towards a split of rail operator between the network and transport activities. In 2008, the Government it was decided, after years of dithering, for a development grant of 25 of a structure of cargo and passenger transport, but had to give up, given the collapse of markets.

Unions are not the only ones to make the fine mouth. In opposition, the Greens questioned the appropriateness of the choice of a manager who made his career in aeronautics, in Dasa (where he worked with Hartmut Mehdorn) and then in the automotive industry. They also point balance mixed blessing of Rüdiger Grube at Daimler. Responsible for strategic thinking and equity, he must assume part of the disasters which are are find files Chrysler and Mitsubishi. Far human shade and behind the scenes, Rüdiger Grube also must demonstrate that it will be look good under the spotlight, the head of one of the most publicized of Germany. The support of the two parties in power, it should be named officially aware April. It is at least the hope of Wolfgang Tiefensee.

Once installed at the head of a group of employees childcare which achieves an annual turnover of EUR 34 billion, the new boss of Deutsche Bahn should not expect a sinecure. He will have to fight on several fronts. Regain the confidence of employees, wounded by the case of espionage. Renew a serene dialogue with trade unions. Reclaim users, tired delays to repetition, technical problems, polemics rates and security of high-speed ICE trains. Dealing with the collapse of the cargo. Redefine the reports with the Government, after the legislative elections of September. And finally decide the debate about privatization, which was supposed to bring to the company around EUR 2 billion for its development.