Ver.di declares strike impacting operations at seven airports in Germany.
Ver.di has announced that Lufthansa ground staff will commence a strike from the early hours of February 20. The industrial action is anticipated to cause travel disruptions at seven German airports.
The strike, spanning 27 hours, was declared by ver.di and is set to commence from 4 am on Tuesday morning. Approximately 900 flights to and from airports in Berlin, Cologne-Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Stuttgart have been canceled. This strike is slated to conclude at 7:10 am on February 21.
The reason behind the Lufthansa employees' strike stems from ongoing negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement by ver.di, representing 25,000 Lufthansa workers. Ver.di is advocating for a 12.5 percent salary increase for the airline's ground staff, along with a one-time bonus to counter inflation. However, Lufthansa has proposed a 10 percent raise, which was rejected by 96 percent of employees who feel it falls short of addressing the rising cost of living.
Marvin Reschinsky, a negotiator for ver.di, criticized Lufthansa's approach, highlighting disparities in pay between pilots and ground staff. Reschinsky emphasized the need for fair compensation and swift resolution for both employees and passengers.