Flight chaos in Germany as airport workers go on strike
February 1, 2024
More than 1,000 flights are expected to be canceled or delayed, affecting more than 200,000 passengers, as airport security staff began a one-day strike at 11 major airports in Germany on Thursday, according to the German airport association ADV.
The strike began on Wednesday night at Cologne/Bonn airport in western Germany when passenger control staff failed to show up for their night shift.
Özay Tarim, spokesman for the Verdi union, said that the participation rate in the strike at that airport was 100%.
“It was a successful start to the strike,” he said, adding that he expects more than 80% of flights – including arrivals and departures – to be canceled during the day.
Which German airports are affected by the strike?
Security personnel stopped work in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hanover, Stuttgart, Erfurt and Dresden after Verdi called for industrial action.
All takeoffs were canceled at Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover and Stuttgart airports. Arrivals are also likely to be heavily delayed.
At the same time, Düsseldorf airport canceled only a third of its flights. Tarim said the security company offered workers a “strike breaking bonus” of €200 (US$216) to come to work.
Airports in the southern state of Bavaria – such as Munich and Nuremberg – are not affected by industrial action, as their security workers are considered public sector workers and have different contracts.
What is the situation at Frankfurt airport?
Germany’s largest airport, Frankfurt, is also expected to experience major disruption on Thursday, with all passenger boardings canceled in the morning.
“The strike will cause major disruptions and flight cancellations throughout the day,” airport operator Fraport said on its website. “In particular, security checkpoints outside the transit area will remain closed.”
He suggested that passengers departing Frankfurt avoid the airport on Thursday and contact their airline operators.
Some transit flights took off on Thursday morning. However, transit passengers were also warned that they could face “strong interruptions and delays” due to the strike.
Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, said passengers can rebook their flights until February 8. It also offered domestic travelers train tickets for Thursday at no extra cost.
DW’s Kristie Pladson, reporting from Frankfurt airport, said passengers showed up “quite frustrated and unhappy” with people heard shouting profanities in the building.
ADV chief Ralph Beisel protested that Thursday’s strike would make airport operators suffer, despite them not being a party to the pay dispute.
What do striking airport workers want?
Verdi called the strike after several rounds of collective bargaining with the Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS) failed to reach an agreement.
The main demand is an hourly wage increase of 2.80 euros. A BDLS spokesperson said they had made an offer of a 4% pay rise for this year, followed by a 3% pay rise next year, but said the union’s demand was unaffordable.
“Verdi and these workers demand what they consider salaries that better reflect their importance to the operation of the airport and air travel,” DW’s Pladson said.
“We are also seeing a ripple effect in terms of work in Germany right now, with people demanding better wages, better working conditions, and there seems to be a kind of trend occurring,” she added.
Thursday’s strike comes after the German train drivers’ union, GDL, called the country’s longest rail strike last week following a dispute with national rail operator Deutsch Bahn.
Verdi also called on local public transport workers in most of Germany to go on strike on Friday.
Source: DW
Lori Barajas is an accomplished journalist, known for her insightful and thought-provoking writing on economy. She currently works as a writer at 247 news reel. With a passion for understanding the economy, Lori’s writing delves deep into the financial issues that matter most, providing readers with a unique perspective on current events.