Germany is facing the prospect of a one-day transport strike that could cripple the country’s transport networks. More travelers have boarded trains and planes on Sunday, but Munich Airport has already been closed due to the strike, and Frankfurt’s Lufthansa has delayed or canceled flights at the country’s largest airport due to technical issues.
The ver.di union has begun a two-day strike at Munich Airport, resulting in no passenger or cargo flights scheduled for Sunday and Monday. Around 1,500 connections have been affected, with only emergency humanitarian flights taking off and landing.
German trade unions have urged thousands of transport workers to strike for a day due to demands for steep wage increases that reflect persistently high inflation. Ver.di has asked 120,000 workers to strike, including security guards and ground staff working at airports (except Berlin), local transport officials in seven of the 16 states, port officials, and some highway officials in tunnels.
The EVG union, which represents many railroad workers, is also calling for a strike among the 230,000 workers at Germany’s main rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, which is government-owned.
Ver.di mainly conducts wage negotiations for employees of the German federal government and municipalities, and this time, they are demanding a 10.5% wage increase. However, employers are offering a lump sum of €2,500 ($2,700) for a total of 5% in two stages.
The unions have already organized a series of one-day strikes on public services, including some airports and local transport. EVG is seeking a 12% hike, while Deutsche Bahn is offering a 5% price increase and a lump sum payment in two stages.
The strikes could significantly disrupt transport networks, causing inconvenience to passengers and cargo shipments.
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