As of: February 5, 2024, 4:55 p.m
By: Lisa Mayerhofer
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Lufthansa is threatened with the next strike: This time, the Verdi union has called on the ground staff of several Lufthansa companies to go on a warning strike - this will also affect hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Frankfurt/Main – Not only Deutsche Bahn – Lufthansa and the airports are also on strike again.
This Wednesday (February 7th), the Verdi union has called on the ground staff of several Lufthansa companies, including technology, to go on an all-day warning strike.
The company wanted to develop a replacement flight plan on Monday and expects more than 100,000 passengers to be affected.
There is a risk of chaos at many German airports on Wednesday.
Verdi strike on Wednesday: which airports will be affected
Several airports nationwide will be affected: The Lufthansa locations in Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf will be on strike on Wednesday, as Verdi announced.
“We assume that 80, 90 percent of the Lufthansa program and that of its subsidiaries will be discontinued,” said a Verdi spokesman this morning.
Around 400 Lufthansa flights are planned for Wednesday at Munich Airport alone.
The warning strike is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 4:00 a.m. and last until Thursday at 7:10 a.m.
Lufthansa passenger jets are parked at an airport.
© Boris Roessler/dpa/Symbolbild
According to Verdi, only Lufthansa companies with a total of around 25,000 employees will go on strike on Wednesday.
Specifically named: Deutsche Lufthansa, Lufthansa Technik, Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Technik Logistik Services and Lufthansa Engineering and Operational Services.
In Munich and Frankfurt in particular, it could happen that striking Lufthansa counter staff are not available to customers of other group companies such as Swiss or Austrian.
The technology also services machines from other LH group companies, and the Lufthansa-Leos company, which is on strike in Düsseldorf, also acts as a ground transport service provider for other companies.
Lufthansa assumes 20,000 employees, while Verdi counts non-tariff workers.
Lufthansa: Warning strike puts a disproportionate burden on guests and employees
The company criticized the union's actions: "Even before the actual negotiations have begun, the length and extent of the strike are completely incomprehensible," it said.
The warning strike is putting a disproportionate burden on guests and employees, said Human Resources Director Michael Niggemann.
He referred to the current offer, which includes, among other things, increases in remuneration and additional benefits totaling over 13 percent over the next three years as well as a significant inflation compensation bonus.
Verdi wants to increase the pressure on employers with the warning strike.
The union rejected the offer in the second round of negotiations.
According to Verdi, the sticking points were the increase increments, which were perceived as being too low, and the 36-month term.
“This strike would be unnecessary if Lufthansa were to grant ground employees the same increases as other employee groups in the company,” said Verdi’s negotiator Marvin Reschinsky, according to the statement.
Better working conditions for the staff are also necessary to provide better service to passengers.
“If Lufthansa does not realize this after this first warning strike, then the employees are prepared to go on longer strikes.”
Verdi is demanding more salary and inflation compensation bonuses
In the ongoing collective bargaining dispute, Verdi is demanding 12.5 percent more salary, but at least 500 euros per month for a term of twelve months.
There will also be a group-wide uniform inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros.
The next round of negotiations will take place on February 12, 2024 in Frankfurt.
Strikes by ground workers had a massive impact on flight operations during the last collective bargaining round.
In July 2022, a strike by ground staff largely paralyzed air traffic at the Lufthansa hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.
With dpa