German airline employees to go on warning strike
Employees at Germany’s major airports will go on a one-day warning strike on February 17 after their demands for a further wage increase are not met.
In the statement issued by the United Service Industry Union (Ver.di), the largest and busiest airport in the country, with the airports of Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hannover and Bremen, given the impossibility of reaching an agreement on the negotiations to increase the salaries of public employees, ground services personnel and security guards at airports. It was noted that on Friday, February 17, a 24-hour strike was called at the Frankfurt airport.
EMPLOYERS REJECTED CLAIMS
Ver.di is leading negotiations for public sector employees, airport ground staff and aviation security personnel, seeking a 10.5 percent or at least 500 salary increase for airport workers to counter the effects of the unusually high inflation in Germany.
Employers have so far denied these requests.
Ver.di stressed that the flights carrying aid to Turkey and Syria due to the earthquake will not be affected by such an attack.
INFLATION AND FOOD PRICES CHALLENGE WORKERS
Ver.di vice-president Christine Behle, whose views are included in the statement, stressed that the workers will exert joint pressure on their employers with the strike, as no results have been obtained from the negotiations with the employers so far.
“Inflation, high energy and food prices are pushing many workers into a precarious situation. Many no longer know how to pay the rent and how to fill the refrigerator. “They need a lot more money to live,” she said.
‘SUMMER CAN HAVE CHAOS’
Behle claimed there was a “manpower shortage” felt by passengers in ground-handling services at German airports last summer, saying: “We need an attractive wage increase and better working conditions to turn this around.” Otherwise, there may be chaos next summer,” he said.
The one-day warning strike in question is expected to lead to delays and cancellations for tens of thousands of passengers, especially on domestic flights.
Average inflation in Germany was 7.9 percent in 2022, the highest level since 1951. (BRITISH AUTOMOBILE CLUB)