Verdi Trade Union Strike Interrupts Hundreds of Flights in German Regional Airports

The majority of flights in German regional airports on Monday have been grounded due to the strikes by the Verdi trade union.

The Duesseldorf airport reported on Monday that only 89 flights of 330 were taking place, 29 flights were diverted to other airports, and seven flights were rescheduled for the next day, while the Cologne Bonn airport said only two of the 136 flights could be operated as planned.

These strikes hit the major European economies, including France, Britain, and Spain, due to the hikes in energy and food prices that had affected revenues and living standards after the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine’s war.

Verdi’s spokesperson said that if the employers stayed obstructionist and did not notify any result, the reaction of the employees at the airports is clear.

At the beginning of this month, the union’s strike disrupted air traffic with a one-day strike at seven airports at the same time, including in the Frankfurt and Munich hubs, which affected nearly 300,000 people.

Verdi said that the agreement to negotiate on behalf of more than 2.5 million of the federal government’s employees and other local authorities is a long way off.

Verdi and the German Civil Service Association required 10.5% increase of income for state employees, or at least 500 euros more each month.