Strikes to Impact Frankfurt and 10 Other German Airports
German airports set for major strike action
Workers at Germany’s largest airports, including Frankfurt Airport and 10 other German airports, are preparing to go on strike on Monday, according to trade union Verdi. This strike action is expected to cause significant travel disruptions.
The airports involved in Monday’s strike include Munich, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Hannover, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig-Halle, and more. Most employees of Fraport, which operates Germany’s largest airport, are under collective wage agreements and could potentially join the strike set to begin at midnight on Monday.
Approximately 23,000 employees of ground handling service providers at almost all German airports, responsible for tasks such as check-in and baggage handling, are included in Monday’s strike. Frankfurt and Munich airports alone were scheduled to operate 2,000 flights on Monday, but disruptions are expected.
Frankfurt Airport has already announced that there will likely be no departures on Monday, advising passengers to avoid coming to the airport. Over 150,000 passengers are expected to be affected by the strike. Berlin/Brandenburg airport serving the German capital also announced that all flight operations would be shut down on Monday.
The strike action follows the failure of a second round of wage negotiations for public sector employees. Verdi is seeking a collective wage agreement for around 2.5 million public sector workers, with demands including an 8% pay increase, higher bonuses, and three additional days off. However, local municipalities and the federal government have deemed these proposals financially unfeasible.
In addition to airport workers, health care employees and kindergarten workers have also participated in strikes recently. Negotiations are set to continue next week in hopes of reaching a resolution.
