The ver.di trade union has announced that employees at seven airports in Germany will go on strike for higher wages on Friday, February 17. Severe disruptions to all planned flights are expected.

German airport workers announce Friday strike

Airport ground crew and aviation security staff in Germany are set to walk out on Friday, demanding higher pay with the support of the country's largest trade union, ver.di.

Airports in Dortmund, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich and Stuttgart will all be affected. Delays and cancellations for all flights, particularly domestic flights, can be expected on Friday.

In a press statement on the ver.di website, the union assured that flights delivering aid to those affected by the earthquake along the Turkish and Syrian border will continue to run out of Hahn airport in Frankfurt as planned.

ver.di demand cost of living pay rise for airport staff

Alongside airport staff, ver.di have also encouraged public sector staff to strike on Friday. For each of the three employee groups, the union is calling for a 10,5 percent pay increase.

“Inflation, the high costs of energy and food are pushing most employees into insecure situations,” said ver.di representative Christine Behle. In her statement, Behle also pressed that granting airport staff a pay rise would help to quell Germany’s dire worker shortage within the aviation industry, making it a more attractive job for prospective recruits.

The planned airport strike follows another at Berlin BER airport last month, widespread public sector strikes at Kitas, in hospitals and on public transport in North Rhine-Westphalia just last week and ongoing postal strike dates. In each sector, ver.di is still in negotiation with industry bosses. 

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