Verdi, the united union of service workers, which includes employees at Germany’s largest airports, has called on its members for a one-day warning strike on March 10. The union is forced to resort to protest action because of employers’ unwillingness to meet workers’ demands in collective bargaining, it said in a statement posted on its website.
The union is seeking an 8 percent wage increase, or at least 350 euros a month, as well as an increase in bonuses for heavy work and additional days off.
The protests will affect 11 airports, including Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin.
Germany’s airport association ADV warned that the strike could disrupt the plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers.
“Holding strikes at 11 airports simultaneously cuts off an entire country from air traffic,” said ADV managing director Ralf Beisel. – “We urge Verdi to take the interests of passengers into account and seek a negotiated settlement.
“The economic damage caused by such strikes is enormous and affects not only the airline industry, but the entire economy in an already extremely strained economic situation,” he added.
Apart from airlines and airports, other industries will also be affected due to flight cancellations and delays. Hotels, caterers and retailers in the affected regions could suffer significant revenue losses. When flights are canceled or delayed, the entire supply chain also suffers, according to a statement published on the ADV website.
