Security personnel at 11 German airports, including the global hub Frankfurt, walked off the job to demand higher pay, causing flights to be grounded and adding to the misery for Europe’s largest economy.
The 24-hour walkout, organized by the Verdi labor union, is the latest in a string of industrial actions that have wracked the country’s transportation industry in recent weeks.
The union is demanding a 2.80 euro ($3.04) pay rise per hour and more generous overtime pay over 12 months on behalf of 25,000 workers in the sector, it said.
Meanwhile, around 200,000 travelers would be affected by over 1,100 flight cancellations or delays, according to the German airports organization ADV, as some of Germany’s largest airports, including Berlin and Hamburg, announced no passenger departures on Wednesday.
In Frankfurt, 310 out of around 1,120 scheduled flights have been cancelled so far, a spokesperson for airport operator Fraport said.
The Union, Verdi said it was seeking to compensate its members for purchasing power lost to high inflation.
Verdi’s demands would add around a quarter billion euros in costs for the affected companies in 2024 alone, lead negotiator for employers association BDLS, Frank Haindl, said.
The association of German airport operators ADV also flagged the strikes’ detrimental effect on the economy.
On Friday, industrial action is expected to bring Public transport to a halt in every federal state except Bavaria.
