Germany: Union calls for 3-day strike by Lufthansa ground staff
February 27, 2024
Lufthansa ground staff will go on strike for three days from Wednesday as a pay dispute between the German flag carrier and unions continues.
The Verdi union’s announcement comes just seven days after the last strike by ground staff on 20 February.
Since then, Lufthansa has made another “improved” offer, according to human resources chief Michael Niggemann, which included bringing forward the first of two salary increases from December to March this year and a faster payment of a company compensation bonus. inflation of 3,000 euros. .
But Verdi again rejected the offer as “insufficient”, repeating his demands for a 12.5% increase and at least 500 euros more per month.
A fifth round of negotiations is scheduled for March 13th and 14th.
Verdi: passengers must not be affected
Accusing Lufthansa of not having entered into mediation, the union says it is intentionally attacking so as not to upset passengers – but that this could change in the future if demands are not met.
“In our first step, we are responding to the employer’s attempt to overcome this situation by not disturbing passengers,” explained chief negotiator Marvin Reschinsky.
“However, if this irresponsible behavior by Lufthansa continues, we regret that passengers will also soon be affected again by strikes. It is in Lufthansa’s hands to prevent this.”
The latest strike comes amid a wave of industrial action across Germany, including on the railways. Coinciding with the latest Lufthansa strike, local public transport workers in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia are also expected to go on strike on Thursday and Friday this week.
How are the strikes affecting the German economy?
Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, cited the strikes as a potential factor in the country’s GDP contracting by 0.3% year-on-year in the last quarter of 2023 and the contraction throughout the entire year combined.
Before the latest Lufthansa strike on February 20, the Bundesbank said that “it cannot be ruled out that the various strikes, among other places in areas such as rail and air transport, reduce productivity.”
mf/msh (AFP, dpa)
Source: DW
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