Verdi calls for a warning strike – all flights at BER airport are canceled on Thursday
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Audio: rbb24 Inforadio | 01/30/2024 | Roman Warsaw | Image: imago images/Schoening
Another strike is looming this week: the Verdi union has called on security staff at eleven German airports to take part in an all-day industrial action. No planes will take off from BER.
The Verdi union has announced an all-day event for Thursday Call for a warning strike at major German airports. Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) is also affected by the planned industrial action.
As the union announced on Tuesday, employees who work in passenger screening, people and goods screening, cargo screening and in service areas at BER should stop work for the entire day. Without these employees, passengers cannot pass through security checks before flights. According to Verdi, the warning strike at BER should begin at 3:30 a.m. and end at 11:59 p.m.
Therefore, no flights will take off from BER on Thursday. As the airport announced on Tuesday evening, arrivals may also be canceled – according to the information, the respective airlines decide on this. According to the airport, around 170 take-offs and landings with almost 50,000 passengers were planned for Thursday.
A total of 11 airports affected
In addition to BER, according to Verdi, there are also the airports Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, Cologne, Düsseldorf; Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt, Frankfurt/Main and Stuttgart affected by the industrial action. However, there will be no strike at Munich Airport or some smaller airports.
Last year, Verdi brought operations at many airports to a virtual standstill with strikes by security staff.
Verdi demands higher wages and allowances
According to its own information, the union is currently negotiating higher wages for around 25,000 industry employees nationwide with the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS). In the three rounds of negotiations so far, both sides have not yet been able to reach an agreement. Verdi is demanding 2.80 euros more wages per hour, higher functional bonuses and overtime bonuses from the first overtime hour with a term of the collective agreement of twelve months.
“Our goal is to sustainably compensate for the loss of purchasing power of employees. The work of the aviation security forces must remain financially attractive so that the urgently needed skilled workers can be recruited and retained,” said Verdi.
Industry association criticizes strike as “inappropriate”
The aviation industry association BDL, on the other hand, has long been complaining about the high costs in Germany as an aviation location. The association sharply criticized the union’s actions: “The paralysis of air traffic in Germany through a warning strike by the 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 von Randow .
According to their own information, employers from the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS) have offered four percent more money for this year and three percent more money for next year. In addition, overtime bonuses should be paid at an earlier point in time than before. Verdi’s demands add up to 250 million euros in additional costs in the current year alone, said a BDLS spokeswoman.
Collective bargaining is scheduled to continue on February 6th.
Rail, airports, local transport: three strikes this week
Shortly afterwards, the strike in local public transport was announced on Friday in almost all federal states: The BVG will be on strike on Friday from the start of operations until 10 a.m. 14 Brandenburg transport companies are on strike all day.
Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, January 30, 2024, 3:00 p.m