Airports return to normal operation after turbulent warning strikes

Airports return to normal operation after turbulent warning strikes

After yesterday's warning strike on Monday, March 10, the location at Cologne/Bonn Airport has normalized again. Like t-online , the processes at the airport are trouble-free today. Düsseldorf Airport also reports no impairments. In Dortmund, on the other hand, some flights that were originally planned for Monday have suffered delays.

The Verdi union organized nationwide warning strikes at 13 German airports on Monday. Employees from the public service, as well as employees of the airport operators and air security services, were affected. The airports Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin were among the most affected locations where a total of more than 3,500 flights were painted. This meant that around 560,000 passengers were affected by travel improvements.

background of the strikes

The strikes are a reaction to existing tariff conflicts. In the public service, Verdi demands a wage increase of eight percent, which includes at least 350 euros per month and three additional days off. On the subject of air safety, the union demands improvements in occupational health and health protection as well as 30 days of vacation and additional vacation for shift work.

The employers have so far not submitted a concrete offer, which expressed trade union chief Frank Werneke in his annoyance of the lack of proposals. According to Tagesschau there will be a new round of negotiations for the public service in Potsdam on March 14th. In addition, the talks about a new mantel collective agreement for the area of ​​air safety for March 26 and 27 are scheduled.

The past strikes can be seen as part of a larger trend that reflects the challenges in the public service. Around 2.3 million employees in the federal government and municipalities are affected by the current collective bargaining, and the unions are pushing for significant improvements in salary and working conditions. The existing collective agreement ends on December 31, 2024, and the first rounds of negotiations have already taken place without tangible results, which further fueled the situation.

As in the Public service News , a survey among employees has come across an alarming picture: many suffer from overload and unoccupied spots. In view of the precarious financial situation of municipal administrations that are fighting with a historical debt of 160 billion euros, employers see the demands of the unions unrealistic.