Lufthansa’s ground crew are on strike on Wednesday. The strike will take place in Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf (see video above). Austrian Airlines (AUA) flights to and from Germany are currently unaffected.
The Verdi union has called for a warning strike from 4 a.m. on Wednesday that will last all day. The core company Lufthansa expects that probably 80 to 90 percent of flights scheduled for Wednesday will be canceled. The first cancellations for long-haul flights were made late on Tuesday evening.
About 100,000 passengers are affected by the strike. If your flight is canceled, the company tells you not to come to the airport because the rebooking counters are not manned. Lufthansa recommends using free rebooking options on the website, app or service center instead. Tickets for domestic flights can also be converted into vouchers for train travel.
The AUA announced that none of its flights to and from Germany will be affected for the time being. However, flight status must be checked online; passengers can also contact their travel agent.
Union demands a 12.5 percent wage increase
The background to the strike is that the union is demanding a 12.5 percent increase in salary or at least 500 euros per month for the approximately 25,000 employees on site. The term should be one year. There should also be an inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros. “This strike would be unnecessary if Lufthansa were to give ground crews the same increases as other employment groups in the company,” said Verdi’s negotiator Marvin Reschinsky.
According to its own statement, Lufthansa has made an offer of 13 percent, but with a term of three years. Inflation compensation bonuses start at 2,000 euros. Negotiations will continue in Frankfurt on February 12.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
