At Frankfurt Airport, the Verdi union has called on security staff to go on a warning strike on Thursday. Hundreds of flights with thousands of passengers are affected. Now another union is threatening another strike.
Because of the planned warning strike by aviation security forces on Thursday, passengers will probably not be able to board at Frankfurt Airport. The the airport operator Fraport announced on Wednesday.
During the strike, no one can enter the security area from outside. Even passengers who only change trains in Frankfurt would have to expect delays and cancellations.
Originally, 1,050 flight movements with around 135,000 passengers were planned in Frankfurt for Thursday.
Fraport expects significant disruptions
Fraport expects “significant disruptions” throughout the day. The airport operator and Lufthansa asked passengers not to come to the airport at all on Thursday.
The airline asked passengers to rebook their flights if possible. Passengers who have tickets for domestic flights can exchange them in advance for Deutsche Bahn tickets, it said. This is also possible if the flight in question has not yet been canceled.
Lufthansa offers rebookings
Lufthansa announced on Wednesday that boarding at Frankfurt Airport would not be possible. However, long-haul flights should mostly take place. Arrival and return flights for those transferring should also be offered. However, there could be longer waiting times in the transit area.
The company is offering free rebookings until February 8th. Passengers for domestic flights could exchange their ticket for a train ticket free of charge, regardless of whether their flight takes place or not.
Walkout from early morning until midnight
The Verdi service union called on security personnel on Tuesday to stop work from early Thursday morning. The strike should last until midnight.
As a result of the strike, it is likely that it will no longer be possible to check passengers, employees and goods that have to go into the security areas of the airports.
In addition to Frankfurt, strikes are also planned at the airports in Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt and Stuttgart.
Higher hourly wages required
Verdi is currently negotiating a new collective agreement with the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS). The union is demanding, among other things, 2.80 euros more hourly wages for employees, as well as higher functional bonuses and overtime bonuses from the first hour of overtime. The collective agreement should have a term of 12 months.
“Our goal is to sustainably compensate for the loss of purchasing power of employees,” said Verdi negotiator Wolfgang Pieper. The work of the aviation security forces must remain financially attractive so that the urgently needed skilled workers can be recruited and retained.
“There is already a shortage of qualified workers who are willing to work extremely flexibly at airports around the clock, on weekends and on public holidays.”
Talks next week
So far there has been no agreement in three rounds of negotiations. Further discussions are planned for Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Verdi said that the employers had held out the prospect of submitting a possible offer, but this was subject to the precondition that the union agreed to an arbitration procedure. Such preconditions are rejected.
In addition, the possible offer only provides for wage increases of four percent in 2024, which corresponds to 55 to 82 cents more per hour depending on the wage group. In 2025 there should be a further increase of three percent, which would be an additional 43 to 64 cents.
Sharp criticism of the strike plan
A spokeswoman for the BDLS had already clearly criticized a possible strike before the strike was officially announced. This gives the impression that Verdi wants to “catch up with the GDL,” she said, alluding to the days-long train drivers’ strike on the railway.
The aviation industry association BDL also sharply criticized the union’s actions: “Paralyzing air traffic in Germany through a warning strike by aviation security forces is inappropriate. Instead, everything should be done to find a solution at the negotiating table or through arbitration,” explained general manager Matthias by Randow.
Cabin union: Collective bargaining with Lufthansa canceled
Meanwhile, the next collective bargaining conflict in the aviation industry threatens to escalate. The cabin union UFO has unilaterally broken off salary negotiations with the Lufthansa Group for around 18,000 flight attendants from the parent company.
“The last offer from Lufthansa is not enough either,” it said in a circular to members on Wednesday after 14 days of negotiations.
Ready to strike
The cabin union barely concealed the threat of a strike, even though the collective bargaining committee had not yet made a decision. She wrote: “The sharpest sword of a union is so obvious that we don’t even have to say it separately. But one thing is clear: we are prepared to take the path of the last resort.”
“We therefore lack any understanding for the cancellation at this time,” explained Lufthansa. Solutions could only be worked out at the negotiating table. Therefore, they are calling on UFO to resume negotiations.
Frankfurt, Kassel, Wiesbaden and Offenbach Strike in local transport: Buses and trains (not) run here on Friday
Passengers in Hesse have to prepare for delays and cancellations: The Verdi union has announced a strike on local transport. In Frankfurt, subways and trams will probably be affected. There is a threat of standstill in Kassel.
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