Lufthansa strike paralyzes German airports again

On February 20, 2024, 7:22 PM

Another strike by employees of German airline Lufthansa has cancelled the majority of flights at seven German airports across the country.

Flights cancelled in Germany
Over 100,000 passengers have been impacted by the industrial action, with the Frankfurt and Munich airports particularly disrupted. The strike, initiated by trade union Verdi, began at 4 a.m. local German time on Tuesday and will conclude a little after 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

Some IT workers and technicians began the industrial action even earlier on Monday evening.

Lufthansa on Tuesday urged customers to not come to the airport if their flight has been cancelled. It said it could offer only 10 to 20% of its flight schedule on the affected days.

Lufthansa union workers hope that this latest round of strikes will force management to come to the negotiating tableImage: Boris Roessler/dpa/picture alliance
Verdi members also held demonstrations near airport terminals.

Trade unions pile pressure on Lufthansa
It’s the second time Lufthansa workers have gone on strike this month. The regular industrial action is an attempt to pressure Lufthansa’s management into raising pay and providing a bonus to help employees cope with inflation.

The protest action means German airports are much less busy image: Michael Probst/AP/picture alliance
“We have now proved twice that we can strike,” Verdi representative Marvin Reschinsky told German news agency dpa on Tuesday.

As many workers continue to participate in the action, Reschinsky suggested “It would therefore be wise to come to a conclusion now.”