The ver.di union has called on Lufthansa ground staff to go on an all-day warning strike on Wednesday. According to the union, the Lufthansa locations in Frankfurt/Main, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf are affected.
The ver.di union has called on Lufthansa ground staff to go on an all-day warning strike on Wednesday. As the union announced early in the morning, the strike is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at four in the morning and will affect the Lufthansa locations in Frankfurt/Main, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf. The industrial action is expected to last until Thursday morning.
Ver.di justified the call with what the union believes is Lufthansa’s unyielding stance: “This strike would be unnecessary if Lufthansa were to grant ground employees the same increases as other employee groups in the group. However, there was no willingness to do this at the negotiating table. That’s why we hope on the understanding of the passengers, because they, like the employees, also want an end to the staff shortage and better service,” said ver.di negotiator Marvin Reschinsky.
Collective bargaining parties are still far apart
The background to the strike call is the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations across the company for the approximately 25,000 employees on the ground. According to Ver.di, an inadequate offer has been submitted in the negotiations so far. Specifically criticized are the eight zero months without compensation development at the beginning, the low increase increments, the 36-month term and completely unanswered demands. For example, the offer provides for an average increase of less than two percent in the first year, according to ver.di. In addition, employees outside Lufthansa Technik should receive a lower inflation compensation bonus.
The union is demanding 12.5 percent more salary for Lufthansa’s ground staff, which would correspond to at least 500 euros per month for a term of twelve months. There will also be a group-wide inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros for employees. The next round of negotiations will take place on February 12, 2024 in Frankfurt am Main.