Ver.di strike to affect air cargo at several German airports

Freight forwarders and travelers are scrambling to make alternative travel plans as one of Germany’s largest trade unions has called for a one-day strike at select German airports Friday. The strike, scheduled to begin in the early morning hours Friday and end that night, will affect Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Stuttgart (STR), Hamburg (HAM), Dortmund (DTM), Hannover (HAJ) and Bremen (BRE) airports. The airports have announced flight cancelations for Friday and warned travelers and forwarders to expect delays. Ver.di seeks negotiable contract offer [caption id="attachment_57131558" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo / Lufthansa Cargo[/caption] Trade union ver.di announced the strike Wednesday morning to give airport leadership, travelers and forwarders time to make alternative plans. The union organized the strike as a warning in advance of contract negotiations scheduled for Feb. 22 and 23 for federal and local public sector employees, local negotiations for ground handling employees, and nationwide negotiations for aviation security employees. Collective bargaining is underway for all three groups. “The employees are jointly putting pressure on the respective employers because no results could be achieved in the negotiations so far,” ver.di Deputy Chairperson Christine Behle said in a release. “In the public sector, we are facing the second round of negotiations without an offer and, together with the employees, are demanding that the employers present a negotiable offer on February 22/23. “There is still a catastrophic labor shortage among ground handling workers — travelers clearly felt this last summer. To change this situation, they need an attractive wage increase. And aviation security workers are entitled to an increase in the bonuses in their collective bargaining agreements. So far, employers have resisted this justified demand. Inflation, high energy and food prices are driving most employees into a precarious situation.” Strike will negatively impact air cargo Just as airport officials are predicting long lines and cancellations for passengers, they also expect significant disruption for cargo. [caption id="attachment_57133085" align="alignleft" width="300"] Vorfeld - Photo / Fraport[/caption] The strike will result in “massive disruptions to air traffic,” said Maria Linden, a spokesperson for Frankfurt Airport , the largest cargo hub to be affected. “All tasks that enable full flight operations will be suspended due to the strike,” Linden told Air Cargo Next . “Passenger and cargo traffic will be equally affected on a massive scale. Operations will be almost impossible to handle. The supply and dispatch of important goods, such as pharmaceuticals, will also be disrupted.” About 5,200 tonnes of cargo are handled daily at FRA, according to Linden. FRA was previously impacted by a strike Sept. 3 , when Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) called a daylong strike from Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo pilots. Lufthansa canceled approximately 900 flights that day, A blow for airlines and forwarders All airlines and forwarders affected by the strike are working to find solutions to soften the impact on customers. For Lufthansa Cargo , the strike announcement comes in what already has been a difficult week; an IT outage in Frankfurt caused major delays to passenger and cargo flights Wednesday afternoon. “The strike has a significant impact on the entire German air traffic and leads to cancellations and delays of flights,” Katharina Wambach, spokesperson for Lufthansa Cargo, said. “Lufthansa Cargo’s flight program, in particular, is also subject to the approval of Frankfurt Airport with regard to agreements allowing a selected number of flights to take off and land. The loading process of shipments is expected to be delayed due to the lack of ground handling staff [while they are] on strike. “For Lufthansa Cargo, our flight plan is still under review. Most likely our freighter flights will be rescheduled to Saturday, Feb. 18, except for the operation of flights bringing relief goods to Turkey, which remain scheduled for Friday,” Wambach added. Emergency relief to remain unaffected Ver.di has given assurances that emergency relief to Turkey and Syria will be exempt from the strike. The union said it will offer emergency service agreements to employers to cover relief efforts Friday. Many aid deliveries will also be made via Technische Hilfswerk’s (THW) Center for Foreign Logistics in Mainz, Germany. Hahn Airport (HHN), which will not be affected by the strike, will be used primarily for that purpose. Linden confirmed that emergency relief at FRA will not be affected by the strike. “Exceptions have been agreed as part of the emergency service for flights with medical emergencies on board, relief flights [Turkey/Syria] or military or government flights,” Linden said.

Ver.di strike to affect air cargo at several German airports

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