Lufthansa ground staff will go on a full-day strike on Wednesday due to a pay dispute, the Verdi union announced, Reuters reports.
The strike also affects Lufthansa's Star Alliance partners. But it will have at most a "limited impact" on SAS, according to the company's press department.
The strike means additional flight cancellations and delays. Ground crews are performing tasks such as pushing planes back from the gate so they can take off and aircraft maintenance.
Verdi describes it as a ”warning strike” in a press release. It will last for just over a day, from 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday until 6 a.m. on Thursday morning, July 28. The strike affects German airports such as Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Berlin.
The fact that Lufthansa's ground staff are going on strike affects not only the German company but also its partners within the Star Alliance. Logistics is an area of cooperation within the airline alliance, of which SAS is a member, among others.
”"We have seen that a strike notice has been issued and we are working to analyze whether it may affect our flights," says Tonje Sund at SAS's press department to Di.
”But we only have two flights from Frankfurt airport that day so regardless it is a limited impact,” she continues.
The Verdi union last month demanded a 9.5 percent pay increase for around 20,000 employees. The employees are being pressured by inflation and are having to work overtime due to staff shortages, according to Verdi.
Management presented an offer on July 13 that Verdi considers insufficient. The workers ”urgently need more money and they need help, for themselves and for passengers,” Verdi deputy chief Christine Behle said in a statement on Monday.
The next negotiation between the parties will take place on August 3 and 4.
Source: FinWire-Di
