BERLIN/FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Tens of thousands of passengers will once again have to prepare for flight cancellations and delays in the coming days. The trade union Verdi has called for warning strikes by aviation security staff at five German airports this Thursday (March 14). According to estimates by the airport association ADV, around 90,000 travelers will be affected and more than 580 flights are likely to be cancelled.

The two-day strike by Lufthansa cabin crew in Frankfurt and Munich could also have repercussions. After the end of this strike, passengers can still expect delays and flight cancellations in some cases, according to Lufthansa.

Restrictions for passengers on Friday too

This Friday (15.3.), passengers in Germany cannot expect to reach their destination as planned everywhere: Verdi has called for further warning strikes by aviation security staff on Friday. According to Verdi negotiator Wolfgang Pieper, the five airports of Hanover, Dortmund, Weeze, Dresden and Leipzig will be hit one after the other. Hanover Airport announced: "For this reason, no departures will be possible on Friday, March 15, 2024 from 00:00 to 12:00. Arrivals are not affected."

According to Verdi, the all-day strike by aviation security staff on Thursday will gradually affect Hamburg, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Koln and Berlin airports over the course of the night. Passengers will no longer be able to enter the security area. Germany's largest airport in Frankfurt is not affected by the warning strikes by aviation security staff on Thursday and Friday.

The collective bargaining in aviation security concerns the working conditions of around 25,000 employees of private security service providers. They check passengers, staff and baggage at the entrances to the security area on behalf of the Federal Police. Five rounds of negotiations have so far failed to produce a result. Verdi is demanding an hourly wage increase of 2.80 euros over a period of twelve months, with overtime bonuses starting more quickly from the first hour of overtime.

According to the aviation security companies (BDLS), they have offered 2.70 euros in three stages. "We are talking about 2.70 euros more per hour within 13 months. That would have been individual increases in monthly wages of between EUR 432 and EUR 470," said BDLS chief negotiator Frank Haindl on Wednesday. The collective agreement is to run for 24 months. A sixth negotiation is scheduled for March 20.

Associations: strike wave has reached a new dimension

The German aviation industry has reached a new dimension. With currently 16 waves of strikes in six collective bargaining areas, the number of strikes this year has already exceeded the level of previous years, criticized the Federal Association of the German Air Transport Industry (BDL). Procedural rules are necessary, said Managing Director Matthias von Randow. Before traffic comes to a standstill due to strikes, the association believes that in future there should at least be an attempt at arbitration in the area of critical transport infrastructure.

ADV Managing Director Ralph Beisel demanded: "Airports are part of the critical infrastructure and must be protected from strike escalations."

Lufthansa caught between strikes and collective bargaining

Lufthansa is currently being hit particularly hard. The airline's cabin crew went on strike on Tuesday and Wednesday. The trade union Ufo had called flight attendants at Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cityline at Frankfurt Airport and a day later at Munich Airport to strike, in each case from 4.00 am to 11.00 pm. Ufo is demanding a 15 percent increase in pay for the approximately 18,000 cabin crew at Lufthansa and the almost 1,000 employees of the regional subsidiary Cityline over a period of 18 months. The union also wants an inflation adjustment bonus of 3000 euros and higher bonuses.

The wage dispute among Lufthansa ground staff is still unresolved. Last week, hundreds of Lufthansa flights were canceled due to a warning strike organized by Verdi in this area. The wage negotiations for the approximately 25,000 ground staff entered the next round on Wednesday, with both sides blocking a continuation of the talks this Thursday (March 14).

Verdi is demanding 12.5 percent more pay for Lufthansa ground staff for a term of twelve months, while the company has so far offered 10 percent for a term of 28 months. After four rounds of negotiations, an inflation adjustment bonus of 3000 euros is relatively uncontroversial.

The Lufthansa subsidiary Discover, which operates 24 aircraft, has also recently experienced repeated walkouts. The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union wants to force a first collective agreement for the approximately 420 pilots there.

Lufthansa Chief Human Resources Officer Michael Niggemann appealed to the unions on Tuesday: "Last year's results show that if we work together, if we fly, then we can also achieve these record profits." Striking is "the wrong way, striking burns money." /mar/ben/DP/stw