Airport: "Labor court instead of Christmas peace"
Created: 12/23/2021, 7:00 AM
From: Dirk Walter
In front of the entrance to the Ministry of Finance: Works councils of the airport.
They gave signatures.
© Oliver Bodmer
Munich - Orhan Kurtulan has put on the yellow safety vest, the airport ID is dangling from the unionist's neck.
Kurtulan is not on the airport premises, but at the gate of the Ministry of Finance.
"In here," he asks the porter and slips a thick folder with signatures into the compartment - 1200 signatures from airport employees who are defending themselves against an impending emergency collective agreement.
The dispute about this nationwide collective agreement, with which the working hours of employees should be reduced by up to six percent as a result of the Corona crisis - with corresponding wage deductions, has been simmering for months. The works council of Flughafen München GmbH (FMG), which represents 5,000 employees, is resisting this. The airport management, on the other hand, urges speed and does not shy away from taking legal steps. Yesterday a first appointment was set before the regional labor court - announcement of the chairman of the arbitration board. Actually a formality, but works council chief Johann Bachmayer is angry: “Labor court instead of Christmas peace,” he complains. The works council was forced to hold a special meeting. "We don't understand this time pressure." The negotiating leeway has not yet been exhausted on both sides.The airport leaves all options open on request: "Whether and to what extent" the reduction in working hours provided for in the emergency collective agreement will be implemented from April 2022 depends "largely on the traffic development and the economic situation".
2300 euros for a full-time job at the airport
Amir S. (name changed) stands next to the head of the works council.
The freight driver at the airport earns 2300 euros net a month; FMG does give Christmas bonuses, but no vacation bonuses.
On short-time work, S., who lives 50 kilometers to the south-east of the airport with his wife and three children, only had 1900 euros for months.
Rent, petrol money - “everything is getting more expensive,” he complains.
How should one live there?
Bachmayer said the airport cut staff during the corona crisis.
But now the forecasts for air traffic are pointing upwards again.
An emergency collective agreement does not fit into the picture.
"As far as we know, no other German airport will use it either."
