The Verdi union has called another “warning strike” among ground staff at German airports. So far, Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen airports have all cancelled flights – with Hanover also seeing strike action.
Tens of thousands of air passengers in Germany are slated to have their travel disrupted on Monday after the Verdi union called an all-day warning strike among ground staff at four German airports, which include security personnel and aircraft maintenance workers.
All Monday 13 March departures from Berlin – accounting for some 200 flights – are cancelled, affecting some 27,000 passengers. Hamburg has also cancelled all its departures, accounting for another 123 flights. Meanwhile, Bremen has cancelled all flights – including both departures and arrivals. Hanover is also expecting delays and cancellations.
Some flights arriving in both Berlin and Hamburg will still be able to land, although the airport authorities say this is up to the airline, meaning some planes may land and other arrivals may be cancelled, depending on the airline. Travellers are advised to check and see if their flight is still departing to Berlin Monday.
The airport authorities have asked anyone who has a flight booked to depart from an affected airport on Monday to contact their airline to make alternate arrangements.
Under EU law, airline passengers are normally entitled to up to €600 in compensation if their flight is cancelled, overbooked, or delayed for more than three hours. However, this applies only if the airline is responsible for the flight’s delay or cancellation—not if someone else is, like the airport authority.
The union is calling the strike to demand higher compensation for weekend and evening work and better overtime pay for its workers. It is also seeking a 10.5 percent pay increase for the public sector workers it represents, or at least an extra €500 a month, to help workers deal with rising cost of living.
Previous rounds of negotiation between Verdi and public sector employers have broken down, leaving the union to warn that more strikes are to be expected.
This is the second time in a month that airports in Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, and Hanover have been affected by strike action due to the current dispute.