Tens of thousands of travelers affected
These airports are on strike today
03/13/2023, 06:50 am
Tens of thousands of air travelers have to prepare for delays and cancellations at several German airports this Monday. Verdi is calling on employees at several airports to stop working. It may not be the only major transport strike this month.
Passengers have to be prepared for significant delays and cancellations at several airports in Germany this Monday. All-day warning strikes began at night at the airports in Hamburg, Hanover and at the capital’s Berlin-Brandenburg Airport BER. This was confirmed by spokesmen for the Verdi union. The employees of Bremen Airport were also called upon to lay down their work. The warning strikes are also likely to have an impact on other locations.
Airports advise travelers to check flight status with their airline. The background is, on the one hand, the collective bargaining for employees in the public sector at federal and local level, local negotiations for employees in ground handling services and, on the other hand, the nationwide collective bargaining for employees in aviation security.
The union is demanding 10.5 percent more wages, but at least 500 euros more per month, for around 2.5 million employees in the federal and local public services nationwide. The employer side has so far offered five percent more money in two steps and one-off payments of 2500 euros. The third round of negotiations is scheduled for March 27-29 in Potsdam.
Probably not the only strike in the transport sector
Around 200 departures were canceled at BER alone. According to the airport, around 27,000 passengers are affected. The airport assumes that about a third of the approximately 200 planned landings will be canceled, as a spokesman said on Sunday.
The warning strike at Hamburg Airport began on Sunday evening. “The strike started on time,” said Verdi union secretary Lars Stubbe. According to the airport, all 123 originally planned take-offs and at least 50 of the 121 originally planned landings are canceled for Monday. The union had called about 2,000 employees to the protest. The warning strike is expected to hit tens of thousands of air travelers in the middle of Hamburg’s spring break. Landings are therefore possible. Due to strikes, however, all-day flight cancellations and significant delays are also expected for arrivals.
In Hanover, the employees of the ground handling services had already stopped work on Sunday evening at 9 p.m. The warning strike by aviation security personnel began at midnight and is expected to last exactly 24 hours. “Participation is high, people are motivated,” said union secretary Lars Kalkbrenner on Monday night. Originally, 35 departures and 34 arrivals in Hanover were planned. Verdi had announced that none of the flights could be carried out. According to the airport operator, at least emergency and rescue flights should be possible in Hanover.
The warning strikes at the airports could only be the prelude to further work stoppages in other areas of the transport sector. The railway and transport union EVG is currently in negotiations with Deutsche Bahn and 50 other railway companies about new collective agreements. By March 23, she will have met with each of these companies at least once. An EVG spokesman said at the weekend that a balance would then be drawn up and further measures decided. The “Bild” newspaper had previously reported that EVG and Verdi were already planning a joint warning strike for March 27, during which the transport sector would be paralysed.