Europe’s largest economy is facing one of the more massive general strikes recent years. Employees in airports, ports, railway stations and urban transport yesterday they staged a round-the-clock strike and demonstrations in dozens of cities that “paralyzed” the country. protesters they are asking, depending on the industries they work in, for a salary increase of almost 10% because of this rising inflation and cost energy And in diet.

More than 400,000 transport workers took part in the strike on Monday, according to Frank Wernecke, head of Ver.di, one of the country’s largest unions. Ver.di represents over 2,500,000 public sector employees. The strike has affected at least 15 airports, including those in Frankfurt and Hamburg, and 380,000 passengers were unable to fly yesterday, according to the German Airports Association. At the same time, Munich Airport has completely closed its gates since Sunday, with 200,000 passengers missing their flights.

Trains, ferries, buses

In addition, the country’s national railroads “hung” and intercity communication was not carried out, and in 7 out of 16 states there was not even an internal rail and bus service. The port of Hamburg, the largest in the country, has completely suspended its work, and large merchant ships have stopped.

A rare united front in Germany, represented by unions, marks an escalation in the growing demand for the government to raise wages at a time when inflation is rising rapidly. Ver.di is demanding a 10.5% increase in monthly wages, while EVG, representing some 230,000 train and bus workers, is seeking a 12% increase for its members.

The main demand of the rare union of trade unions is a double-digit increase in wages due to inflation.

Employers – mostly state-owned and state-owned companies – have so far refused requests, offering instead a 5 percent increase in two lump sums of €1,000 and €1,500 this year and next.

When inflation reached 8.7% in February, employers accused workers’ representatives of exacerbating the problem with wage demands, which they said would further fuel inflation. Trade unions, for their part, dispute this position and say that their members can no longer cope with their daily needs.

The “mega-strike”, as yesterday’s general strike was dubbed by the local media, follows a strike in recent months in various sectors of Germany, including post offices, airports and local transport.

Although the third round of public sector wage talks between unions and employers began yesterday, there is little sign that a common basis for an agreement will be found anytime soon. The VKA, the body that represents employers in various sectors of the public service, said on Monday it did not intend to make an improved offer to unions.

However, the fact remains that some unions have recently been able to secure significant wage increases. Postal workers posted an average monthly growth of 11.5% in early March, and last November IG Metall, Germany’s largest trade union, achieved an 8.5% increase for its nearly 4 million employees.