FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - After the tough warning strike at Lufthansa, hopes for negotiation solutions are rising this Wednesday. In Frankfurt and Berlin, representatives of the trade union Verdi will meet with the employers of Lufthansa and the private aviation security companies. A breakthrough seems possible in both rounds if the talks continue on Thursday.

Prior to the two warning strikes by Lufthansa ground staff, Verdi had organized a nationwide warning strike by aviation security staff on 1 February, which also led to around 1100 flight cancellations.

The second warning strike by ground staff at Lufthansa was not due to end until 7.10 a.m. this Wednesday morning in some parts of the company and also resulted in a total of more than 1000 flights being canceled. The strike by technicians, logistics and counter staff was particularly noticeable at the Munich and Frankfurt hubs, where flights were still being canceled on Wednesday. Strike action also took place in Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Koln/Bonn and Stuttgart. Flights to the two Lufthansa hubs were also canceled at other airports.

Verdi is demanding a 12.5 percent pay rise for the more than 20,000 ground staff as well as an inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros for a period of one year. Lufthansa has offered the bonus in a piecemeal form as well as around 10 percent more pay, albeit much later and for a term more than twice as long. It seems to be only a question of payment points and duration, but a Lufthansa spokesperson left open whether the company will increase the offer.

The situation in aviation security is similar after five rounds of negotiations without results. The collective bargaining partners have agreed from the outset to hold the sixth round over two days. Verdi is demanding a flat-rate increase of 2.80 euros per hour for passenger and baggage screeners. Together with other demands, this would result in a volume of between 13.6 and 20.25 percent, the employers from the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies have calculated and rejected./ceb/DP/zb