Flights into strike zones of German airport security screeners
Security investigators launched a one-day strike at 11 of Germany's busiest airports on Thursday, bringing departures to a virtual standstill, scuttling travel plans for an expected 200,000 people and adding to the chaos caused by public sector strikes.
Airports serving Berlin, Hamburg and Stuttgart have canceled all their departures ahead of the work stoppage, while others – including Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest – tried to keep some flights in the air, but warned of significant delays and cancellations.
“The work of airport security staff must remain financially attractive so that urgently needed skilled workers can be recruited and retained,” said Wolfgang Pieper, chief negotiator for Verdi, the public sector union behind the strike. Screeners demand an hourly wage of 2.80 euros, or about $3, a 14 percent increase for a starting salary.
The federal association of aviation security companies, the BDLS, which represents employers, called the requirements “utopian.” A 4 percent increase is offered this year, followed by a 3 percent increase next year.
The one-day strike is just one of several recent labor actions that have affected life in Germany, where union workers have pushed for higher wages in the face of inflation. The minimum wage was raised last month to $12.41 per hour, but most union jobs pay significantly more.
There was some relief for travelers this week when train drivers agreed to return to work on Monday, ending a six-day strike a day early. The striking engineers managed to bring train traffic to a standstill, while only one in five intercity trains was in use.
On Tuesday, 5,000 doctors from university hospitals across the country went on strike, demanding better wages and working conditions.
When airport staff return to their posts on Friday morning, travelers and commuters will face a new obstacle: Public transport workers will walk off work in protest over their wages and hold up trams, metros and buses during morning traffic until 10am o'clock
Verdi, the union leading the airport screeners' strike, is also calling for higher wages for ground crews and service staff working for Lufthansa and a chain of regional airports.
For people planning to travel by air on Thursday, Lufthansa warned of reduced services and offered train tickets to travelers who had booked domestic flights to and from Frankfurt.
The airports serving Munich – Germany's second busiest – and Nuremberg were not affected because security controllers there have different contracts.
“In Germany we see strike announcements almost every day at the expense of mobility and the economy,” said Ralph Beisel, director of the airport association ADV. “It has to stop,” he added.