Germany’s Airport Security Staff Ground Flights In Nationwide Protests

Security staff at 11 German airports, including the global hub Frankfurt, walked off the job to press for higher pay, grounding flights and inflicting more pain on Europe’s largest economy.

The 24-hour strike, called by labour union Verdi, is the latest in a series of industrial actions that have plagued the country’s transportation sector 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, almost 200,000 travellers will be affected by over 1,100 flight cancellations or delays, the German airports association ADV estimated on Wednesday as some of Germany’s biggest airports including Berlin and Hamburg said there would be no departures for passengers.

“The ones who can strike, do it and they all do it just for themselves. There should be another solution. It can’t go on like this,” said Ernst Henzl, who had planned to travel to Barcelona, but got stranded at the Frankfurt airport entrance hall.

In Frankfurt, 310 out of around 1,120 scheduled flights have been cancelled so far, a spokesperson for airport operator Fraport said.

Boarding flights from Frankfurt would not be possible as all security checks outside the transit areas would remain closed, she added.

People queued in front of re-booking terminals in the departure area during the morning hours.

Verdi said it was seeking to compensate its members for purchasing power lost to high inflation.

“The work of aviation security staff must remain financially attractive so that the urgently needed skilled workers can be recruited and retained,” Verdi lead negotiator, Wolfgang Pieper, said in a statement. “Safety in air traffic does not come for free.”

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.

“In Germany, we see strike announcements almost daily to the detriment of mobility and the economy. This must be stopped,” ADV general manager, Ralph Beisel, said.

Last week, German train drivers staged a five-day strike following a week-long nationwide protest by German farmers who had blocked the country’s roads.

On Friday, industrial action is expected to bring Public transport to a halt in every federal state except Bavaria.

REUTERS/Christopher Ojilere