BERLIN – Germany’s aviation landscape faces disruption once again as the influential Verdi union has called for a fresh round of strikes among Lufthansa ground staff, intensifying pressure on the airline ahead of forthcoming negotiations.
The strike is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, March 7 and 8th and is anticipated to impact passenger services, with a duration from 4 a.m. Thursday to 7:10 a.m. Saturday.
Verdi, representing approximately 25,000 employees, demands substantial pay raises, seeking a 12% increase or a minimum of €500 per month. Despite the airline’s purportedly robust financial performance, the union accuses Lufthansa of insufficient responses to these demands.
Verdi asserts that strikes are necessary to compel Lufthansa’s engagement in response to what it perceives as managerial indifference. Past disruptions, notably on February 20 and 28, resulted in significant flight cancellations, affecting around 100,000 passengers and paralyzing commercial operations.
On the other hand, Lufthansa contends that Verdi’s demands are unreasonable, citing an offered 10% salary increase over 28 months. However, the union insists on 12.5% plus inflation compensation for a one-year term.
These strikes compound a series of labor actions across Germany, including in the transportation, civil service, and retail sectors. Workers seek relief from inflationary pressures intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the standoff between Verdi and Lufthansa persists, the broader economic implications loom large. Scheduled for March 13 and 14, the upcoming negotiations mark the fifth round of discussions amidst the ongoing dispute. Verdi has made clear its stance, stating it will not resume negotiations beforehand unless Lufthansa offers an improved proposal in advance. This position has faced criticism from Lufthansa, which had proposed talks for Monday, March 4.
