One can understand it, the Lufthansa ground staff. Your job is exhausting. And the Corona years were difficult. Lots of jobs shook in the industry. The employees refrained from wage increases, while in 2021 prices began to rise everywhere for them too. That’s why the Verdi union now wants to get a whopping 9.5 percent more wages for these 20,000 employees. But with all understanding for this: In this early phase of the negotiations, Verdi does not have to resort to a 26-hour strike.
But that is exactly what she is planning for this Wednesday, and many people will feel it. In the middle of the holiday season, there are likely to be delays and cancellations of flights. And this day of chaos shortly before the start of the holidays in Baden-Württemberg is not a singular event. For weeks, flight schedules have been more or less information without guarantee because airlines and their service providers are missing people in many places.
You can’t cope with the rush of customers who finally want to travel again. You laid off employees during the Corona crisis, sometimes too many. Regardless of such causes: is it really necessary to give holidaymakers this additional day of chaos on Wednesday?
The union argues that Lufthansa is not offering enough money. That’s correct. A wage increase of EUR 150 immediately, EUR 100 at the turn of the year and two percent in one year, provided that business is going well: that is not enough for the inflation-plagued employees. Both sides are just at the beginning of their talks. And employers always offer little. The next negotiations have already been agreed for next week. Verdi could have done without calling a strike now, and at all of the airline’s locations. A “warning strike” as the union claims? You probably know that’s an understatement.