German airline Lufthansa and the union representing ground staff announced on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement on pay after a long dispute, thus averting the threat of strikes during the Easter holidays, according to AFP.

The agreement between the carrier and the powerful Verdi union was reached after ground staff staged strikes in recent months, causing numerous disruptions to air travel, Agerpres reported.

After a series of direct negotiations over wages failed, Lufthansa and Verdi began arbitration proceedings this week, which led to a compromise.

Details of the deal were not immediately released, but Lufthansa’s chief human resources officer, Michael Niggemann, said it was “a good compromise with significant pay increases over the life of the agreement.”

Verdi demanded a 12.5% ​​pay rise for the roughly 25,000 Lufthansa ground workers he represents.

Ground staff stopped work several times. The latest strike, which lasted two days in early March, forced the German airline to cancel up to 90% of its flights.

Lufthansa flight attendants, who also went on strike in early March, have yet to reach an agreement on pay with management.

Der Spiegel magazine reported that the airline group and the UFO union that represents them will begin arbitration after the Easter holidays.

The airline said in early March that it feared a dispute with unions over pay would have “devastating” consequences after its profits rose in 2023.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the German government had to obtain financial assistance for the group, which includes Lufthansa, Eurowings, Austrian, Swiss and Brussels Airlines.

But it has since recovered significantly thanks to the return of travelers, prompting unions to demand better redistribution of profits.

A wave of strikes in 2022 has already forced management to raise wages sharply.

Since the beginning of the year, the transport sector in Germany has been shaken by numerous strikes.

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn struck a deal with the GDL union on Monday that will see train drivers gradually cut their working hours from 38 to 35 hours a week by 2029.