Airports were already on strike by unions on Tuesday.
(Photo: dpa)
Düsseldorf/Cologne All-day warning strikes have begun at the two largest airports in North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the Verdi union early on Friday morning. There are also strikes in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden.
Verdi called on employees in passenger control, personnel, goods and freight control as well as public sector workers to walk out. According to preliminary information from the two airports, hundreds of flights are expected to be canceled on Friday.
“We have a good participation, the mood is determined,” said the Verdi spokesman. At Cologne/Bonn Airport, the warning strike had already begun on Thursday evening at 10 p.m., in Düsseldorf the employees stopped their work on Friday at 3 a.m. According to the union, around 500 employees are on strike in Düsseldorf alone.
The two airports advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline or tour operator before arriving at the airport. Verdi had previously stated that passengers would have to expect delays, longer waiting times and flight cancellations at the two airports on Friday.
According to preliminary information from the airport, almost all flights at Cologne/Bonn Airport will be canceled on Friday. 144 of the originally planned 148 take-offs and landings of passenger aircraft could not take place, a spokesman said early Friday morning. In addition, there could be further cancellations or diversions of flights.
Düsseldorf Airport wants to maintain emergency operations. An airport spokesman confirmed on Friday morning that 264 of the 391 originally planned take-offs and landings will be canceled. Tens of thousands of passengers once again have to prepare for flight cancellations and delays due to warning strikes at four German airports.
Only emergency flights take place in Stuttgart
At Stuttgart Airport, the all-day warning strikes began on Friday night, as Verdi spokesmen confirmed. In Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, the employees stopped work at around 5 a.m. A total of 681 flights are said to be cancelled. Around 89,000 passengers are affected.
In Stuttgart there should be no regular travel on Friday. According to the airport, only security landings and medical and military flights could be carried out, it said. 169 flight movements were planned, and around 20,000 passengers were affected by the warning strike.
Despite the call for a strike, there will be take-offs and landings at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport. However, there could be longer waiting times at the security checks, said managing director Uwe Kotzan. Passengers should allow more time and check their flight status before travelling.
>> Read here: Second round of collective bargaining also failed – strikes are approaching
The background is negotiations on payment in the aviation security industry and the wage dispute in the public sector. On Monday, the employees at the airports in Hamburg, Hanover and at the capital airport Berlin-Brandenburg BER had already stopped working.
More: Comment: Germany’s industrial trade unions have consistently shown responsibility in wage policy in the past. Exuberant demands and shrill warnings do not change that.