15 March, 2022

Strikes in Germany - BARIG urges the involved parties to get engaged in talks

Verdi Strikes at German Airports

Photo AP
Another day of disruption for passengers in Germany as airport staff continues their dispute over pay and conditions that has led to mass flight cancellations and flight delays. 

Scores of flights were cancelled at Frankfurt Airport after trade union Verdi instigated strike action, starting around two in the morning. Various employees including cargo operatives and security staff stopped working with only passengers on connecting flights able to clear security.  

Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport had asked passengers not to arrive at the airport due to strike and said that over 130 of over 800 flights for Tuesday had been cancelled. 

Staff at other German airports also took action, starting on Monday and continuing into the week, including at Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin, Duesseldorf and Baden-Baden.

On the second day of the collective wage dispute between the German trade union Verdi and the German Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS), strikes continue to proceed, affecting even more airports in Germany today. BARIG Secretary General Michael Hoppe comments at this juncture:

“In the current situation, we—as industry association of more than 100 national and international airlines in Germany—have absolutely no understanding for the Verdi strikes at the airports. Such forms of industrial action are being taken at the expense of uninvolved third parties. Every single day of ongoing strikes has immediate consequences for tens of thousands of passengers, leading to flight cancellations and massive delays. Moreover, it causes immense damage on air traffic in Germany—especially at a time when initial signs of recovery after many months of the pandemic crisis finally had been noticed.

 We therefore urgently call on the collective bargaining parties to get engaged in constructive dialogue instead. The wage dispute can only be resolved at the negotiating table. Strikes or even unrealistic, excessive demands, on the contrary, only create unacceptable burdens on the entire air traffic industry in Germany and ultimately harm all parties involved.”






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