After rail customers, airline passengers now have to expect strike-related cancellations. A nationwide warning strike by aviation security forces could bring air traffic to a standstill in large parts of Germany on Thursday. The Verdi union has called on the employees of private security companies at eleven airports to go on an all-day warning strike.
Striked is available at Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt, Frankfurt/Main and Stuttgart airports. Exceptions are said to be Munich Airport and some smaller airports.
Already three rounds of discussions
Verdi is currently negotiating with the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS) about higher wages for the industry’s approximately 25,000 employees nationwide. Verdi wants to achieve higher wages. The union is demanding 2.80 euros more money per hour, higher functional bonuses and overtime bonuses from the first hour of overtime. According to Verdi’s wishes, the term of the collective agreement should be twelve months. So far there have been three rounds of talks in collective bargaining, but no agreement could be reached.
Die Employees of private security services usually work on behalf of the Federal Police at the checkpoints for passengers, baggage and personnel. Without them, access and therefore no operation of the security areas at the airports is possible. Air traffic is therefore likely to be paralyzed in large parts of Germany. The extent of the flight cancellations was not yet known. Negotiations regarding emergency service agreements were still ongoing on Tuesday.