Ver.di Union Demands Pay Raises for Employees
In a move to push for better wages, the Ver.di labor union in Germany has announced a one-day strike for ground staff working for Lufthansa. The strike is set to take place at seven major airports, including Frankfurt and Munich, on Tuesday.
The strike will commence at 4 a.m. on Tuesday and conclude at 7:10 a.m. on Wednesday, affecting operations in Berlin, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne-Bonn, and Stuttgart. This action comes in the wake of a 27-hour strike earlier this month that led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
The union is advocating for pay raises of 12.5% or a minimum increase of 500 euros ($539) per month for approximately 25,000 employees involved in check-in, aircraft handling, maintenance, and freight services. The ongoing negotiations have yet to reach a consensus, with the last round of talks on February 12 failing to produce an agreement.
Given the standoff, the Ver.di union is resorting to strike actions as a means of exerting pressure on Lufthansa. More negotiations are scheduled for Wednesday in an attempt to find common ground and avert further disruptions to flight services.