Warning strikes start at 13 German airports

The Verdi trade union has begun its warning strikes at 13 German airports, Report informs via DPA.

Since midnight, employees from the public services of airport operators, ground handling services and aviation security have been on strike in various wage disputes, a union spokesperson confirmed. The warning strike is to last 24 hours.

The warning strikes in other federal and local government institutions are also set to continue this week. The next round of negotiations for the public sector is planned for this Friday (March 14) in Potsdam.

The warning strikes in the public sector, which have been planned since Friday, are to be joined today by employees in aviation security, as Verdi announced on Saturday. These employees work in passenger, personnel, goods and freight control as well as in service areas. A new collective agreement for them is currently being negotiated with the employers in the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS). The next round of negotiations is scheduled for March 26 and 27.

The following airports are affected by the warning strikes in both wage disputes: Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Koln/Bonn, Leipzig/Halle, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich. At Weeze Airport near Düsseldorf and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport, only employees in the aviation security sector have been called out on strike.

Air traffic will come to a standstill in large parts of Germany: According to an initial estimate by the airport association ADV, more than 3,400 flights are expected to be canceled due to the strike in public services and ground handling alone, and around 510,000 passengers will not be able to travel as planned. According to German air traffic control, there are currently around 6,000 flight movements at German airports on an average day. In addition, there are around 3,000 overflights in German airspace.