Strike action in Germany on Monday grounded thousands of flights, including all connections to and from Berlin, as the Verdi trade union urged workers to protest for better pay.
Approximately 3,400 flights were disrupted, affecting around 500,000 passengers, according to the German airport association ADV. At Frankfurt, Germany’s busiest airport, the operator Fraport confirmed that no passengers would be allowed to board, with disruptions expected to significantly affect transit services, as reported by German daily Bild.
Airports in Bremen, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart also faced major disruptions.
The Verdi union announced the walkout, involving public sector workers and about 23,000 employees of ground-handling service providers, to send a clear message to management about the need for better working conditions.
Verdi’s deputy chair, Christine Behle, expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers but emphasized that without such industrial action, there would be no movement in the ongoing pay negotiations.
The union demands an 8% pay increase or at least 350 euros ($380) more per month, along with higher bonuses for particularly stressful roles.
Verdi clarified that the strike was a “warning” action, as employers had not presented any offers during the collective bargaining talks and showed no willingness to address the workers’ legitimate demands.
AFP
