Lufthansa Airlines strikes today: 90% of scheduled flights can be canceled; Check details
The strike will affect airports in major German cities such as Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf.
Ground crews at Lufthansa Airlines, Germany's national carrier, will go on strike on Wednesday, adding to the recent wave of labor unrest in the country's transport sector. The Verdi union has announced that the strike will start at 4 a.m. and end at 7:10 a.m. (local time) on Thursday, lasting 27 hours. This industrial action is expected to cause significant disruption, with Lufthansa warning that up to 90% of its flight schedule will be cancelled. About 100,000 passengers will be affected by this strike.
The strike will affect airports in major German cities such as Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf. These airports are among the busiest in the country and the strike is likely to cause chaos and inconvenience for travelers. Germany, Europe's largest economy, has suffered a series of nationwide strikes that have disrupted air travel, railways and public transport.
Lufthansa, which operates around 3,000 flights a day, is currently developing a contingency plan to assess the potential impact of the strike on its operations. However, it is still too early to determine the exact number of canceled flights. Reuters reported.
In a warning to passengers, Lufthansa said: AFP“Due to the strike, we currently assume that around 10 to 20 percent of Lufthansa's aviation program will be possible.” It also said: “Only come to the airport if your flight has not been cancelled,” adding that the rebooking desks will also be closed.
The Lufthansa ground crew strike is part of a broader trend of labor unrest in Germany's transport sector. Workers are demanding higher wages and strikes have become a common tactic to put pressure on employers. The Verdi union, which represents ground crews, has been at the forefront of these labor actions.
The recent wave of strikes in Germany has raised concerns about the impact on the country's economy. Due to disruptions in air traffic and public transport, both companies and private individuals are faced with challenges in logistics and travel arrangements. The government and employers will have to find a way to address workers' concerns while minimizing the impact on the economy as a whole.
The airline said it has made a proposal to offer employees wage increases of more than 13 percent within the next three years, along with the immediate payment of significant inflation bonuses. AFP reported. However, the union has dismissed the offer as “completely unacceptable”.
Last Thursday, Verdi called a one-day strike among security staff at most of Germany's major airports, resulting in widespread flight cancellations.
It staged a strike on Friday, leading to the cancellation of local buses, trams and subways across much of Germany. These short 'warning strikes' lasting several hours or a single day are a typical strategy used in German contract negotiations.
In July 2022, Lufthansa ground crews went on strike during the previous round of collective bargaining, leading to significant travel disruptions.