German Airport Ground Staff to Strike for 10 Days... 'Expecting Major Aviation Chaos'

About 23,000 Ground Staff Workers Expected to Join Strike at Major Airports

Ground staff workers at major airports in Germany will launch a large-scale strike for 24 hours starting on the 10th (local time). As a result, disruptions to flight operations across Germany are inevitable.

Frankfurt Airport. Photo by Yonhap News

The German public service union Ver.di announced on the 7th that “despite two rounds of negotiations, the employers did not present reasonable proposals,” and declared a full work stoppage at 11 airports for 24 hours starting from midnight on the 10th.

About 23,000 ground staff workers from major German airports including Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Cologne, and Stuttgart are expected to participate in this strike.

Demand for wage and welfare increases... Labor-management conflict intensifies

The union has been demanding an 8% wage increase and an extension of vacation by 3 days, and has been conducting warning strikes at some airports such as Munich since last month. However, the employers, represented by the German Airport Association (ADV), have rejected the union’s demands citing financial burdens.

ADV criticized the union, saying, “Hundreds of thousands of passengers will be affected by large-scale flight cancellations and delays,” and added, “Considering the inconvenience to passengers, solutions should be sought at the negotiation table.”

Meanwhile, in Berlin, public sector workers from municipal hospitals, care centers, and the Berlin Cleaning Company (BSR) have been on strike for three days since the 6th. They joined the union’s strike movement demanding wage increases.

Ver.di is one of the world’s largest industrial unions with about 2.6 million members and exerts strong influence in the labor movement within Germany.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.