As of: February 7, 2024, 11:38 a.m
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Rally of the Verdi union in Frankfurt am Main.
© Ardavan Safari/dpa
Little is happening for Lufthansa passengers today because of a warning strike.
Verdi warns: If Lufthansa's offering does not improve significantly, the ground staff will be prepared to take longer walks.
Frankfurt/Main - The Verdi union has threatened longer strikes at Lufthansa if the board does not significantly improve its previous collective bargaining offer for ground staff.
The willingness to strike on the ground has never been as high in the past 20 years as it is now, said Verdi negotiator Marvin Reschinsky at a protest meeting with several hundred participants in front of the Lufthansa administration at Frankfurt Airport.
The warning strike sends a clear signal to the board: “We can go longer if you ask us to.”
There was significantly limited operations at Germany's largest airport in the morning because its main customer Lufthansa canceled up to 90 percent of its 600 planned take-offs and landings due to the 27-hour warning strike.
“It’s a bitter day for our passengers,” said Lufthansa human resources director Michael Niggemann in the ZDF morning magazine.
The escalation chosen by Verdi was not necessary.
Reschinsky accused the management of treating its own people disrespectfully.
He said: “The two-class society between flying personnel and the ground must finally be ended.” Rally participants were very dissatisfied with their working conditions.
A baggage investigator reported: “We have 50 percent fewer employees than before Corona, but the work has remained the same.
Actually, we should demand even more.” Her colleague said: “We need the increase to live on, everything has become much more expensive.”
Consequences for airline passengers
If flights within Germany are canceled, customers can use their flight ticket to take the train.
Under no circumstances should passengers of canceled flights come to the airport, warned Lufthansa.
They couldn't expect any help there.
“Due to the strike, the rebooking counters are unfortunately not staffed,” the airline’s website said.
Free rebooking options are available via lufthansa.com, the customer app and the service center.
However, passengers from Lufthansa subsidiaries and external airlines are not or hardly affected.
For example, the direct flight subsidiary Eurowings is planning to fly its entire program.
At the hubs in Munich and Frankfurt, the skeleton crews should give priority to the flights of the foreign Lufthansa sister companies Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines in order to keep their networks functioning.
Lufthansa customers will then also be rebooked on these flights.
Normal operations expected from Friday
Strike meetings are planned in Berlin and Frankfurt today.
The strike is scheduled to end on Thursday at 7:10 a.m.
Lufthansa is expecting a bumpy start to operations on Thursday with some cancellations and delays.
Operations should have completely returned to normal by Friday.
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The impairments by region
Bavaria
: More than half of all flights at Munich Airport are canceled.
The airport said that out of around 730 flight movements from all companies, a good 400 take-offs and landings were affected.
In Nuremberg, eight flights to and from Frankfurt were canceled.
Rhine-Main
: Lufthansa is expected to have cancellations of 90 percent of its flights at Frankfurt Airport, a Fraport spokeswoman said this morning.
Takeoffs and landings for the Lufthansa core brand and the group's own feeder Air Dolomiti are also canceled.
However, the other group companies and external airlines fly.
Baden-Württemberg
: In the state capital Stuttgart, six Lufthansa connections to Frankfurt and Munich are missing from the flight schedule.
There were no changes to the three planned departures from Friedrichshafen to Frankfurt.
Hamburg
: All 23 planned Lufthansa departures at Hamburg Airport are canceled.
This can be seen from the airport's online departure schedule.
These include 12 flights to Munich and 11 to Frankfurt.
In return, arrivals starting at these two Lufthansa hubs will also be cancelled.
The approximately 30 flights from Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings to holiday destinations are all scheduled to start as planned.
In Terminal 2 at Hamburg Airport, a display board indicates canceled flights.
© Rabea Gruber/dpa
Berlin/Brandenburg
: All outgoing and arriving Lufthansa flights are canceled at the capital airport BER.
In total there are 46 flight movements.
According to the website, all flights from the Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings will be carried out.
This also applies to the flights of the Lufthansa subsidiaries Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss.
NRW
: In Düsseldorf, 14 of the 15 planned Lufthansa connections to Munich and Frankfurt are canceled.
According to the airport, arrivals are 13 out of 14 flights.
Other companies may have to expect delays because the staff who tow aircraft with special vehicles from the terminal to the taxiways are also on strike.
On the Cologne Airport website this morning, five Munich connections were listed as canceled.
Dispute over more money and terms
In the collective bargaining dispute, Verdi is demanding 12.5 percent more salary, but at least 500 euros per month for a term of one year.
There will also be a group-wide inflation bonus of 3,000 euros.
Lufthansa points to past wage increases and has offered 13 percent more money and an inflation bonus for a period of three years.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for Monday.
Stays on the ground today: A Lufthansa plane is at Munich airport.
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
The Verdi union is threatening longer strikes at Lufthansa if the board does not significantly improve its previous collective bargaining offer for ground staff.
The willingness to strike on the ground has never been as high in the past 20 years as it is now, said Verdi negotiator Marvin Reschinsky.
The warning strike sends a clear signal to the board: “We can go longer if you ask us to.”
The Verdi union has called on Lufthansa ground staff to go on an all-day warning strike.
© Ardavan Safari/dpa
Reschinsky accused the management of treating its own people disrespectfully.
He said: “The two-class society between flying personnel and the ground must finally be ended.” dpa