Germany’s national airline carrier, Lufthansa, may face a strike on Wednesday as the trade union Verdi has called for a one-day strike by the airline’s ground staff. The strike is set to affect major airports in Germany, including Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Dusseldorf.
According to reports, the strike is scheduled to begin at 04:00 on Wednesday and will last until 07:10 on Thursday. Lufthansa has criticized the decision, as it is expected to impact 80 to 90 percent of the airline’s flight schedule and more than 100,000 passengers.
This strike marks the fourth major industrial action in Germany this year, as Lufthansa and Verdi union, representing around 25,000 ground staff, continue negotiations.
Verdi rejected Lufthansa’s pay increase proposal on February 23, citing it as too low. The union is seeking a 12.5 percent wage increase or at least a boost of €500 per month for 12 months, along with a one-time inflation-offsetting payment of €3,000.
The upcoming strike will serve as a ‘warning strike’ to pressure employers ahead of the next round of talks on February 12, with the union warning of longer strikes if their demands are not met. Meanwhile, Lufthansa is also facing a two-day strike by pilots at its daughter company Discover Airlines.
Verdi, one of Germany’s largest unions, has been active in calling for strikes across different sectors, including public transport workers and rail workers. This increase in strike activity is attributed to workers’ concerns about wages being impacted by inflation and the general decline of the German economy.
In response to the labor shortage, Germany recently began a four-day working week test in an effort to attract more workers and revive the economy. This initiative is aimed at addressing the lack of workers in various sectors of the German economy.
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