After the airport security staff last week, the German skies are likely to be very disrupted again on Wednesday.
One of Lufthansa's main unions, Verdi, has called the airline's ground staff on a warning strike as part of a pay dispute targeting 25,000 workers whose purchasing power has been eroded by the inflation.
This work stoppage which will begin on Wednesday from 4 a.m. until 7 a.m. Thursday concerns all ground workers, from maintenance to passenger and aircraft handling, so that “significant flight cancellations and delays are expected happen,” according to the union.
Many airports should be affected such as Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf.
The airline has indicated that it is working “on a special flight plan” which will target “more than one hundred thousand passengers”.
“Increase pressure” on management
The union, which wants to “increase the pressure” on management, is demanding a 12.5% increase in salaries for a period of 12 months.
Verdi demands at least 500 euros more on the monthly pay slip and an inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros.
In addition, the organization of shifts will need to be improved.
For its part, Lufthansa defends itself by claiming to have an offer including increases of “more than 13 percent” over a period of 3 years, and the payment of “significant inflation compensation bonuses”.
But this offer from management is considered “totally insufficient” by the union, before the start of formal negotiations which are due to begin on February 12.
According to Verdi, Lufthansa employees "already have around 10 percent less in their pockets than three years ago" due to inflation, while the group posts "record profits" after the crisis. Covid-19, explained Marvin Reschinsky, head of negotiations at Verdi.