The strike planned for Friday at seven German airports is likely to have a massive impact on the Munich Security Conference, to which high-ranking politicians and diplomats are due to travel from all over the world. The Verdi union has called for a day-long industrial action at the airports in Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hanover and Bremen.
“We assume that the participants in the Munich Security Conference, who come in government planes, can land via the emergency service,” Verdi expert Manuela Dietz told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday. There will be talks with Munich Airport on Thursday.
However, participants who plan to travel in other planes would have to look for alternatives. “I’m assuming massive effects and I estimate that almost no planes are coming or going in Munich,” said Dietz. No passenger plane will take off or land at any of the other affected airports either.
The organizers of the Munich Security Conference are concerned: “Hundreds of decision-makers from all five continents have already confirmed their participation,” said a spokeswoman. The strike will also affect the course of the conference. We are in close contact with all relevant authorities and especially the guests in order to keep these effects as low as possible.
The three-day Munich Security Conference begins on Friday. In addition to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US Vice President Kamala Harris, dozens of heads of government as well as foreign and defense ministers, diplomats and many security experts are expected. In addition, a third of the US Senate should also take part.
Federal and local government employees, ground staff and aviation security employees have now been called to strike. Collective bargaining is currently being conducted for all three groups.