edited by: Pritha Mallick
Last Update: February 16, 2023, 23:18 IST
A Lufthansa plane is seen on the tarmac on Friday. (Reuters)
Lufthansa’s statement came after German trade union Verdi called on workers at Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hanover and Bremen airports to go on a 24-hour strike.
Germany’s major carrier Lufthansa on Thursday canceled more than 1,300 flights scheduled for February 17 from Frankfurt and Munich ahead of a planned strike at seven German airports by labor union Verdi.
“It is expected that regular flight operations will be substantially normalized by February 18,” the airline said in a statement.
German trade union Verdi called on workers at Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hanover and Bremen airports to go on a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, saying there had been little progress in collective bargaining efforts. The warning strike will begin on Friday morning and end on Saturday night, with reports adding relief materials for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria will be exempted from the strike.
Verdi official Christine Behle said in a statement carried by Bloomberg, pointing to the next round of talks on February 22, “the workers are jointly putting pressure on the concerned employers as no result has been achieved in the previous talks.”
Lufthansa is already suffering massive delays as a group-wide IT system failure on Wednesday stranded thousands of passengers. According to Frankfurt Airport’s website, reports of Lufthansa flight disruptions began around 0700 GMT and around 120 inbound and outbound flights were canceled at the airport.
The airline has blamed underground engineering works for cutting several fiber optic cables at a railway station in Frankfurt.
Why is the German trade union Verdi protesting?
German trade union Verdi has demanded a wage increase, citing the rising cost of living. The labor union is negotiating for three groups of workers: ground service workers, public sector officials and aviation security staff.
In its statement on Wednesday, it warned that operations allowing full flight operations at the airport would be suspended and urged passengers to avoid the airport on Friday.
According to Reuters, the strike is expected to hit domestic travel in particular, according to the union, which said it had given advance warning about the strike so passengers could have alternative options.
The walkout coincides with the start of the 59th Munich Security Conference, with hundreds of delegates including many global leaders flocking to the Bavarian capital.
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