On March 10, a nationwide strike started in 13 of Germany’s largest airports, related to demands for a wage increase. More than 3,400 flights were canceled as a result of the 24-hour strike, informs DW.
The strike disrupted operations at Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin-Brandenburg and Leipzig-Halle airports. In particular, 1,054 out of 1,116 scheduled flights were canceled in Frankfurt, and Hamburg airport reported that departures were not possible at all.
Service workers, ground staff and aviation security staged a round-the-clock strike. The Verdi union is demanding a collective agreement to raise wages for nearly 2.5 million workers. The action began after the failure of the second round of negotiations.
At the same time, the German government and local municipalities consider the union’s demands — including an 8% wage increase and the provision of three additional days off — financially unreasonable. According to airport association ADV, the strike affected about 510,000 travelers.
It will be recalled that a year ago, aviation security workers at 11 of Germany’s largest airports also went on a one-day strike, due to which about 1,100 flights were canceled or delayed. Their demands also included higher wages and better benefits for about 25,000 employees.
