On Tuesday, the 30th of January, the public sector union Verdi announced that security staff will strike on Thursday at airports across Germany, including the country’s largest airport in Frankfurt, increasing pressure on the government over wage negotiations, reports Reuters.
A one-day strike is planned at airports in Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, Verdi said, adding that both cargo and passenger traffic would be affected.
It is not yet clear how many flights would be affected.
Germany has recently faced numerous strikes in the air and rail transport sectors, with workers demanding higher wages as the impact of inflation affects Europe’s largest economy.
The Verdi, which is negotiating on behalf of 25 000 aviation security workers, is seeking a 2.80 euro hourly pay rise and better overtime pay.
The Verdi’s aim is to keep the job financially attractive for recruiting and retaining skilled workers.
The employers had initially offered a 4% pay rise for this year and another 3% for next year, but Verdi considered this proposal “totally inadequate”, with wage negotiations scheduled for the 6th and 7th of February.
In addition to the airport strikes, Verdi is planning a public transport strike in 15 of the 16 German federal states on Friday.
This strike follows a five-day strike by GDL train drivers last week as part of a months-long dispute over pay and working conditions.
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