By Andrea Figueras
German trade union Verdi has announced a strike of Deutsche Lufthansa’s ground staff following unsuccessful wage negotiations. The strike is set to impact multiple airports including Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Dusseldorf. It will begin on Wednesday at 0300 GMT and end on Thursday at 0610 GMT, according to the union.
The negotiations involve approximately 25,000 employees who are demanding a 12.5% salary increase or a minimum additional monthly payment of 500 euros ($539.38). The employees also seek an inflation compensation bonus of EUR3,000.
Verdi expressed that this strike would be unnecessary if Lufthansa provided ground staff with the same salary increases as other employee groups within the company.
As a result of the strike, there are expected to be significant flight cancellations and delays. Verdi has called for all ground staff to participate in the strike, affecting over 100,000 passengers, according to Lufthansa.
Deutsche Lufthansa’s labor director, Michael Niggemann, criticized the union for announcing the warning strike before official negotiations commenced. He expressed concern for the strain this would place on both the airline’s guests and employees.
Lufthansa stated that they have already provided substantial pay increases averaging 11.5% in the past 18 months. Their most recent offer includes additional pay raises and benefits totaling over 13% for the next three years, in addition to an inflation compensation premium.
The next round of negotiations between Verdi and Lufthansa is scheduled for Feb. 12.
