On Wednesday, ground personnel employed by Lufthansa, a prominent German airline, staged walkouts at key airports. This action escalated tensions in ongoing wage negotiations and compounded the challenges faced by travelers in Europe's largest economy, which is already grappling with strikes affecting railways and public transportation systems.
Some 100,000 passengers will be affected by the industrial action, which started at 4 a.m. (3 a.m. GMT) and is due to run until 7:10 a.m. on Thursday, the national carrier has said.
The Verdi union has targeted the Frankfurt and Munich airports, where Lufthansa says only 10%-20% of flights will operate, as well as Berlin, Hamburg and Dusseldorf.
Verdi wants a wage rise of 12.5% for some 25,000 workers, or at least 500 euros ($537.00) more per month over a 12-month period, plus a one-time payment of 3,000 euros to offset inflation.
A wave of nationwide industrial action in the last few weeks has hit air travel, railways and public transport, inflicting pain on the economy and fueling discontent with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's awkward three-way coalition.
