Lufthansa customers must expect disabilities this week. The Verdi services union called the group’s ground workers nationwide to an all-day event warning strike up on Wednesday. The union announced that there would be major flight cancellations and delays that day.
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The warning strike begins at 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday morning and ends at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, Verdi announced on Monday in Berlin. Around 20,000 employees at all Lufthansa locations, for example in Frankfurt am Main, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich or Berlin, have been called to strike, as Verdi further announced. The ground workers are also responsible for the maintenance of the aircraft and for pushing the machines into the appropriate positions.
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9.5 percent more Lohn required
The background to this is the faltering wage negotiations at Lufthansa. Verdi recently rejected a first tariff offer as “insufficient”. According to union information, the company had offered fixed amounts and a result-related component for a term of 18 months. The union demands 9.5 percent more money for a 12-month term. The salary increase must be at least 350 euros.
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Lufthansa: warning strike “unreasonable”
Lufthansa described the warning strike as unreasonable – both for the passengers and for the other Lufthansa employees. Personnel director Michael Niggemann said that with this duration and across all locations, one could hardly speak of a warning strike. He referred to the continued tense economic situation of the airline.
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The Confederation of German Employers’ Associations stated that burdening Lufthansa and its passengers with wage demands in the middle of summer was absolutely disproportionate. People’s desire for vacation is shamelessly exploited. The Verdi union should return to the negotiating table.
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