Departures get cancelled; German airports go empty amid flight cancellations due to strikes
The strike comes after a pay agreement was reached between labor unions and German government officials. Airport employees were excluded in the deal.
PremiumOn April 24, flight cancellations were reported at Berlin and Hamburg airports as workers staged walkouts in an ongoing dispute over salary raises. According to German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur, all departures and 70 out of 240 incoming flights were cancelled in Berlin, while Hamburg airport announced that 31 of 160 departures had been cancelled. The strike, announced at short notice by the trade union ver.di, began at 3:30 a.m. and was set to continue until midnight.
The strike is part of an ongoing campaign by the union to negotiate bonuses for special working hours, including weekends, and rules on overtime pay. The union has staged frequent walkouts over recent months, hitting local transport, hospitals, and other public services.
The strike follows a pay deal between German government officials and labour unions for over 2.5 million public-sector workers last weekend, which ended a lengthy dispute and avoided the possibility of disruptive all-out strikes. However, the deal did not include airport employees.
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In March, strikes at four German airports led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights, with security and ground handling staff at airports in Dusseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart, and Baden-Baden called upon to strike over pay and working conditions. Cologne/Bonn Airport reported 144 cancellations, while Dusseldorf Airport said it was working on a "significantly reduced flight schedule" that had originally scheduled 368 take-offs and landings for the day.
The ongoing disputes have led to disruptions in public services, including transportation, hospitals, and now airports, as unions continue to put pressure on employers to meet their demands. As negotiations continue, it remains to be seen how the parties will resolve their differences.
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The strikes have become a common feature across major European economies, including France, Britain, and Spain, as higher food and energy prices impact incomes and living standards. The strikes and protests have become a source of concern for travelers during the post-pandemic travel rebound, which has fueled staffing problems. As a result, workers in various sectors are calling for higher pay due to high inflation.
Most of London's Tube lines were shut down due to a strike by London Underground workers, causing severe disruption for commuters in November 2022. Staff from the Rail, Maritime, and Transport union walked out for their sixth 24-hour strike this year, protesting against pension changes and job cuts. The strike led to long queues for buses and overcrowding on the Elizabeth line and other train services. This marked the sixth strike on the highly contentious issue of pensions, according to the BBC.
(With agency inputs)
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