Frankfurt/Hannover (dpa) – There is a glimmer of hope for passengers in Germany plagued by strikes. After five rounds without agreement, arbitration is now expected to bring a solution to the collective bargaining dispute among Lufthansa ground staff. At the same time, aviation security personnel continued their warning strikes at several German airports on Friday. According to estimates by the airport association ADV, a total of 662 flights were canceled due to the two-day strike by security forces and more than 100,000 passengers were affected.
In the collective bargaining dispute for Lufthansa’s approximately 25,000 ground employees, the Verdi union and the airline are seeking arbitration proceedings as quickly as possible. Verdi negotiator Marvin Reschinsky believes an agreement in the planned arbitration by Holy Saturday (March 30) at the latest is “very realistic. I think both sides want to avoid a strike at Easter.” A duty of peace should apply during the mediation.
Strikes possible on Easter Sunday if talks fail
If there is no agreement, a strike would be possible as early as Easter Sunday, confirmed the Verdi negotiator. The union wants to begin preparations for a strike vote next week, which should be completed by Good Friday. In parallel to the discussions about an arbitration agreement as a prerequisite for the proceedings, the search for arbitrators is currently underway. According to Verdi’s wishes, each side should appoint its own mediator.
Lufthansa Human Resources Director Michael Niggemann also emphasized the willingness to reach an agreement. Niggemann said on Thursday after the fifth round of negotiations that we had come closer to a solution, but it was not yet enough to reach a conclusion. “Together we now want to clarify the open points with the help of mediation in order to then reach an agreement.”
Verdi is charging 12.5 percent more money for Lufthansa ground staff for a term of twelve months, while the company has previously offered 10 percent for a term of 28 months. An inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros is comparatively undisputed. Last week, hundreds of Lufthansa flights were canceled in this area due to a warning strike organized by Verdi.
Restrictions on air traffic due to warning strikes
Due to further warning strikes by aviation security staff, there were also restrictions for passengers in Germany on Friday. Members of the Verdi union have been called on warning strikes at Hanover, Dortmund, Weeze, Dresden, Leipzig and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports. The first employees went on strike late on Thursday evening in Hanover. With the warning strikes, Verdi wants to increase the pressure on employers before the next round of negotiations on March 20th.
Warning strikes by security staff at five German airports had already largely brought operations to a standstill on Thursday. Airports in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden and Cologne/Bonn were affected. As a rule, all departures were canceled because passengers and goods could no longer go through security checks. There were also numerous failures during the landings.
The collective bargaining concerns the wages and working conditions of around 25,000 employees of private security providers. On behalf of the Federal Police, they check passengers, staff and luggage at the entrances to the security area. There have been five rounds of negotiations so far in the collective bargaining dispute.
Criticism of the extent of labor disputes in aviation
The employers criticized the extent of the current labor disputes in aviation as inappropriate and pointed to economic damage worth millions. Unlike in the automotive or textile industries, for example, these loss of income cannot then be compensated for in special shifts, the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry announced on Friday. “A canceled flight remains a lost flight.” The unions weakened the material basis of the companies and their employees, criticized CEO Matthias von Randow.
Against the backdrop of the current strikes in rail and air transport, calls are growing for a reform of the right to strike. “We need clear industrial action law, especially for the railways and comparable areas,” said the general manager of the Federal Association of Employers’ Associations, Steffen Kampeter, to the “Rheinische Post” (Friday). “The strikes in critical infrastructure are not only annoying, but also a brake on growth.”
Similar demands are coming from the opposition: The legal policy spokesman for the Union faction, Günter Krings, is calling for a strike law with mandatory lead times for industrial disputes in critical infrastructure. Such a law “includes standards for proportionality and the necessary lead times for a strike in public services and critical infrastructure,” said the CDU politician to the Editorial Network Germany (RND). “This is the only way customers, who are now the biggest victims of the rail strikes, can take precautions in good time.”
“Employees have become more self-confident”
Verdi boss Frank Werneke rejected the advances. “At the moment when services become more at the center of collective bargaining disputes, employers have an interest in making these strikes less effective,” he told the “Tagesspiegel.” “This is the position of business associations and political forces close to them.” At the same time, he spoke of a new self-confidence among employees, which increases the willingness to strike. This is also linked to the improved situation on the labor market. “As a result, we have more commitment and courage in collective bargaining movements.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240314-99-342201/7
2024-03-15 14:41:34
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