Ghetto imagesHundreds of flights have been canceled in Germany as airport workers are organizing a national strike because of the pay, which is a significant disturbance for air travelers.
The industrial actions led by the union Verdi began unexpectedly on Sunday at Hamburg Airport before expanding to a national strike.
Passengers in Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin and other major centers are called not to travel to airports, with operations being severely disturbed. Frankfurt, the most busy airport in Germany, said passengers would not be able to get on flights and transfer “almost certainly” would be affected.
Verdi, who is a public sector and transport workers, is in a continuing dispute over salaries and working conditions.
German media reported thousands of flights can be canceled throughout the day, violating the trip for more than 500,000 passengers.
Lufthansa, whose main hub is in Frankfurt, confirmed “delay and extensive cancellation” in all its airlines, while the Munich airport warns of a “significantly reduced flight schedule”.
Katja Bromm, a spokesman at the Hamburg Airport, where all 143 departments scheduled on Monday have already been canceled, said Verdi was “dishonest” to call a strike without notice at the beginning of the festive season.
She said the walks on Sunday are “excessive and unjust for tens of thousands of travelers who have nothing to do with disputes.”
A Verdi spokesman has accepted that the strike will affect many, but told the German media that it was necessary to cause a break to retrieve a better offer from employers.
EPAMany of the 1770 planned flights at Frankfurt Airport have already been canceled, while the bigger part of the 820 Munich flights are expected to be canceled.
Hundreds of more cancellation is expected in Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Cologne and Berlin.
Many passengers have already checked their luggage and have had problems with its return, according to the public television operator NDR. He also reports that the strike led to the airport at Hanover Airport to stagnation.
Beyond the airports, Verdi also called for strikes in the collection of waste in several German cities, including Berlin, Autumn and Kiel, where the bins remained undisputed last week.
The Union requires an 8% increase in pay for airport workers, or at least € 350 more per month, along with higher bonuses and extra rest. So far, employers have rejected these requests as inaccessible.
Additional strikes were expected to continue this week in facilities operated by the federal government and local authorities, DPA reported, citing Verdi spokesman.
The next round of conversations will be held on Friday in Potsdam.