German airports to be hit by labour strike on Monday

Alsharq Tribune- World News

Major disruptions loom at German airports on Monday, including a total shutdown of flights at Berlin, after a services union announced strike action for better pay for ground personnel.

The industrial action will also hit the country's biggest airport in Frankfurt as well as hubs in Bremen, Cologne, Dortmund, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart.

The ver.di union said Friday it was calling on public sector workers and some 23,000 employees of ground handling service providers to go on an all-day warning strike on March 10. "There will be massive restrictions on departures and arrivals, including flight cancellations," ver.di said in a statement.

"We regret the inconvenience that this strike will cause for passengers," said the union's deputy chair Christine Behle. "But without the pressure of industrial action, there will be no movement in the negotiations."

"That is why we are already informing people today so that travellers can prepare for the restrictions in good time," she added.

Berlin airport said in a statement that "flight operations will unfortunately have to be suspended" on Monday, with "all regular departures and arrivals" unable to take place. The union's demands include a pay rise of eight percent or at least 350 euros ($380) more per month, and higher bonuses for particularly stressful activities.

The union said that "we are forced to go on this warning strike because the employers have not yet made an offer in the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations for public sector employees and have shown no willingness to meet our legitimate demands."