The recent transport strikes in Germany have led to a walkout by Lufthansa's ground staff due to a pay dispute. The union has called for a one-day strike on Wednesday, affecting ground crew members at the airline. The Ver.di union announced Monday that ground staff at the German airline's Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Düsseldorf airports will strike beginning at 4 a.m. on February 7 and lasting 27 hours. The union is negotiating a 12.5% pay increase, or at least an extra €500 per month, for nearly 25,000 employees, including check-in, aircraft handling, maintenance, and freight staff.
More than 100,000 passengers affected
According to DW News, Lufthansa has cancelled the majority of flights to and from Frankfurt and Munich, affecting more than 100,000 passengers. The airline has advised passengers not to visit the airports because the rebooking counters will be unmanned. Lufthansa said it would be possible to convert domestic German flight tickets into rail travel vouchers. Passengers journeying with Lufthansa subsidiaries and other airlines are expected to experience minimal disruption. Eurowings, a Lufthansa subsidiary, intends to operate its full schedule. Lufthansa's foreign subsidiaries, Swiss, Austrian, and Brussels Airlines, will prioritize services to Munich and Frankfurt airports.
The reason behind the strike of Groundworkers
Recently, there have been widespread disruptions at German airports due to industrial action. The walkout was initiated during Lufthansa Group's wage negotiations for about 25,000 ground crew employees at Deutsche Lufthansa, Lufthansa Technik, and Lufthansa Cargo. The staff rejected an employer's offer in the second round of negotiations on January 23. Verdi, the union, is demanding a wage rise of 12.5% for the staff or at least 500 euros ($537.00) more per month for a 12-month period. Additionally, they are asking for a one-time payment of 3,000 euros to offset the effects of inflation. Verdi also called for security staff at several major airports to take strike action last Thursday. Strikes on Germany's railways and in other areas of public transport have also inflicted pain on the economy and created a headache for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way governing coalition.
(With inputs from agencies)
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