Ground staff at German airline Lufthansa walked out of major airports on Wednesday (Feb 7), adding to pressure for wage negotiations and spelling trouble for travellers in Europe’s biggest economy already hit by strikes on railways and public transport.
About 100,000 passengers will be affected by the strike, which began at 4 a.m. (11 a.m. Singapore time) and will last until 7.10 a.m. Thursday morning, the national carrier said.
Verdi’s union has targeted Frankfurt and Munich airports, where Lufthansa said it would target 10 to 20 per cent of its flights, as well as Berlin, Hamburg and Dusseldorf.
The airport operator said in a statement:
“Please contact your airline or travel operator for information regarding your flight. Transfer and connecting passengers should also expect strong disruptions and delays due to the strike.”
Verdi is demanding a 12.5 per cent pay rise for about 25,000 workers, or at least 500 euros (S$720) a month for 12 months, as well as a lump sum payment of 3,000 euros to offset inflation.
Wolfgang Pieper, who is in charge of salary negotiations at Verdi, said:
“The strike began well with a very good level of participation.”
A wave of nationwide strikes across the country over the past few weeks has hit airlines, railways and public transport, hurting the economy and fuelling discontent with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s bumbling tripartite coalition.
A wave of strikes has swept Germany in recent weeks. Last week, train drivers went on a five-day strike, the longest in history and the fourth since November.
