German Airports Strikes Worsen As Passengers Face Flight Disruptions

Passengers were set to face more disruptions on Friday as a result of strikes by aviation security staff at six German airports.

Thousands of passengers will be affected after trade union Verdi called for further strikes by aviation security staff at the Hanover, Dortmund, Weeze, Dresden, Leipzig, and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports.

The first employees went on strike in Hanover late on Thursday.

Verdi is trying to increase pressure on the employers ahead of the next round of negotiations on March 20.

Strikes by security staff at five other German airports brought operations to a virtual standstill on Thursday.

Airports in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, and Cologne/Bonn were affected on Thursday.

All departures were cancelled at the airports because passengers and goods could no longer pass through security checks.

There were also numerous cancellations of landings.

According to estimates by the airport association ADV, more than 580 flights were cancelled on Thursday.

The association expects a significantly lower number of cancelled flights on Friday.

Unions are at the moment, hitting air traffic with a whole wave of industrial action, leading to sometimes more, sometimes lesser restrictions for passengers.

The collective bargaining in aviation security concerns the working conditions of around 25,000 employees of private security service providers, who check passengers, staff and baggage at the entrances to the security area on behalf of Germany’s Federal Police.

Five rounds of negotiations have so far failed to produce a result. Verdi is demanding an hourly wage increase of €2.80 ($3.05), phased in over 12 months, with overtime bonuses starting more quickly from the first hour of overtime.