The airports of Cologne-Bonn and Düsseldorf in Germany were brought to a standstill on Monday by 24-hour warning strikes by public sector employees.
At Cologne-Bonn Airport, where strike began on Sunday evening, 106 of 168 scheduled takeoffs and landings were canceled on Monday. Further delays, cancellations or diversions could not be ruled out, the airport said.
At Düsseldorf Airport, the warning strike began at 03:00 on Monday. According to information from Sunday, about a third of the 334 flights scheduled for the strike period were to be canceled.
Both airports urged passengers to check the status of their flights with their airline or tour operator before traveling to the airport.
What are the unions’ demands?
The Verdi trade union has demanded a 8% pay increase for public sector workers that is at least €350 ($367) more per month, as well as higher bonuses for particularly stressful tasks and three additional days off.
According to Verdi, 400 employees took part in the strike in Düsseldorf on Monday. The strikers work at airports in areas such as administration, check-in, aircraft handling, passenger and crew transportation, and baggage handling.
The union is using the strikes to increase the pressure in the ongoing wage negotiations for the public sector. Last Tuesday, the second bargaining round in Potsdam also ended without a result. The third round of collective bargaining is scheduled to take place on March 14.
Munich airport to go on strike for 2 days
Meanwhile, Verdi announced that it is planning a two-day warning strike at Munich Airport on Thursday and Friday to put pressure on the public sector wage negotiations.
The strike is scheduled to begin at 00:00 on Thursday and last until midnight on Friday.
The union is expecting major disruptions as security checks and ground services are among the areas that will be affected, said Manuela Dietz of Verdi.
Edited by Zac Crellin
