BERLIN (BERITAPOLITIK.ONLINE) — Thousands of flights and train services are poised for cancellation once more in Germany this week as two major unions press on with strikes demanding better wages and improved working conditions.
Negotiations persist between ground staff at Lufthansa, the German airline, and Deutsche Bahn, the national rail operator, alongside the train drivers’ union, GDL, and Ver.di. The unions have scheduled strikes for Thursday (07/03/2024) and Friday (08/03/2024).
An estimated 200,000 air passengers could face disruptions over the two-day strike period, resulting in approximately 1,000 canceled flights daily, as per initial assessments by the Lufthansa Group, reported by German news agency dpa.
The disruption to long-distance and regional train services is slated to commence at 2:00 a.m. (0100GMT) on Thursday, affecting millions of travelers. GDL has indicated the strike will persist until 1 p.m. on Friday. Freight transport will be impacted starting Wednesday (06/03/2024) at 6 p.m. (1700GMT) until 5 a.m. on Friday (08/03/2024).
GDL’s demands include a reduction of working hours from 38 to 35 per week without a pay decrease, which Deutsche Bahn has rebuffed. Meanwhile, Ver.di is advocating for a 12.5% salary increase or a minimum of 500 euros ($542) more per month for nearly 25,000 Lufthansa ground employees, encompassing check-in, aircraft handling, maintenance, and freight staff.
Concurrently, ongoing contract negotiations have precipitated several recent strikes across Germany’s rail, air, and local transport sectors.
