More than 500,000 passengers affected by the strike at German airports
The staff strike called by the Verdi union forces the cancellation of 3,400 flights
BerlinBlack day at German airports. More than 500,000 passengers have been affected by the strike by staff at the country's 13 main airports. The strike called by the public union Verdi has led to the cancellation of 3,400 flights, according to an initial estimate by the airport association ADV. The union has called for a 24-hour strike on Monday at 13 airports, including those in Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin-Brandenburg. The massive strike began after midnight and will end at 11:59 p.m.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers have been unable to take their flights due to the massive cancellations as a result of the strike by ground handling and security staff at German airports. Many of them have been forced to find alternative transport or postpone their journeys.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport informed travellers on its website that "all planned departures and arrivals will be affected by the strikes and will therefore not be able to take place." Officials at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest, had advised passengers not to go to the airport on Monday and had reported that passenger transfers in traffic would in all likelihood be affected and will not be able to take place.
Complaints
With this mass strike, Verdi is increasing the pressure on the employers in the negotiations for the collective agreement for 2.5 million public sector employees at federal and municipal level. "We are forced to call this warning strike because in the current wage negotiations for public sector employees, the employers have not made any offers and have shown no willingness to meet our legitimate demands," said Christine Behle, Vice President of Verdi, in a statement.
Behle pointed out that "airport employees do an indispensable job for the smooth running of air traffic and are largely responsible for the safety of all passengers." "They too deserve a decent salary and better working conditions," she added. In the negotiations, the Verdi union is demanding wage increases of 8 percent or at least 350 euros more per month, as well as three additional days off for all public sector employees.
The managing director of the airport association ADV, Ralph Beisel, believes that the simultaneous strikes at airports are not only a nightmare for travellers, but also have consequences for the economy of the affected regions. Flight cancellations and delays cause "major disruptions to business travel and affect supply chains," warns the ADV head. Beisel urged politicians to take further measures to protect airports and other critical infrastructure from mass strikes.
Airports will not be the only ones affected by strikes in the coming days. From March 14, strikes are also planned in other public sectors in Germany, such as healthcare, childcare, waste collection, public transport and local and federal administrations.