A warning strike by security staff at Frankfurt Airport has disrupted the plans of many passengers. Passengers were not able to board on Thursday; only transit flights were possible. There could still be waiting times on Friday morning.
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Video 03:08 min. | 01.02.24, 7:30 p.m. |hessenschau
Warning strike at Frankfurt Airport – many flights are canceled
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Because of the warning strike by aviation security forces, passengers were unable to board at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday. There were no security checks.
According to airport operator Fraport, of 1,120 planned flight movements, almost 320 were canceled by the afternoon.
Around 320 flights canceled
A few planes had taken off in the morning. But these could only be taken by transit travelers. These travelers were also asked not to leave the airport transit area as it would not be possible to re-enter it afterwards.
Passengers who only changed flights in Frankfurt also had to expect delays and cancellations.
According to Fraport, around 800 flights took place – but these also included many domestic flights that were rebooked on Deutsche Bahn trains. Originally, a good 1,100 flight movements with around 135,000 passengers were planned for Thursday in Frankfurt.
Audio contribution
Audio 01:18 Min. | 01.02.24 |Lars Hofmann
Security personnel are on strike at German airports
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There were no irregularities in the transit area in the morning, said the Fraport spokesman. Some people transferring flights who had not flown to Frankfurt from safe countries of origin had to be checked here. There is an agreed emergency service for this.
Free rebooking possible until February 8th
Fraport had expected “significant disruptions” throughout the day. The airport operator and Lufthansa asked passengers not to come to the airport at all on Thursday.
Lufthansa is offering free rebookings until February 8th. Passengers who have tickets for domestic flights could exchange them in advance for Deutsche Bahn tickets, it said.
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.
In addition to Frankfurt, the airports in Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt and Stuttgart were also affected by the strike.
After the warning strike ended on Thursday, Fraport’s experience shows that travelers still have to be prepared for waiting times early on Friday morning. But it should settle down over the course of the day, said a Fraport spokesman.
Higher hourly wages required
At a Verdi rally, around 300 people chanted: “We are worth it – 2.80 euros.” “I think this is a clear sign of a reasonable conclusion next week,” said Mathias Venema from the Verdi union. Then no one would ask why the republic was being paralyzed. However, if no collective agreement is reached, “we’ll just have to do it again,” said Venema, with a view to further strikes.
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.”
Employees “under pressure”
In the security industry, there is “constant pressure on the job,” union secretary Behrad Ghofrani told hr on Thursday morning. He reported on colleagues who were afraid of warnings or even dismissals.
Since it is about the safety of passengers, no mistakes should be made, said Ghofrani. “To take this pressure off, you would have to offer better pay so that more people take this job and don’t go out on a limb.”
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
The strike was completely inappropriate, said Frank Haindl from the collective bargaining committee of the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS) on Thursday in Frankfurt. There is a debatable offer on the table. A compromise must be found that is viable for both sides.
Both sides would also have to discuss the key points of an arbitration agreement in the event that there is no solution at the negotiating table, said Haindl. It must be prevented that there are widespread strikes like those at Deutsche Bahn.
Frankfurt, Offenbach, Wiesbaden, Gießen, Kassel Strike in local transport: Where buses and trains are unlikely to run in Hesse
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 Wiesbaden.
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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.
Further information
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