Berlin Airport Staff Strike: 300 Flights Cancelled, Over 35,000 Passengers Affected

After ground personnel went on strike Wednesday to demand higher wages, Berlin Airport cancelled all of its flights. The strike impacted about 300 flights to and from the German capital. According to the Verdi labour union, its members want a rise of 500 euros ($544) per month. Employers have reportedly offered employees a 2,000 euro one-time payment, according to the German news agency dpa. The previous year saw the biggest yearly inflation in Germany in more than 70 years. Full-year inflation reached 7 due to significant rises in the price of food and energy.

All flights are anticipated to be cancelled as a result of the strike, impacting over 35,000 people. Simple Flying quotes a spokesperson of the airport saying,"In this situation, the airport company must assume that no regular passenger flights can take place at BER on this day and has informed all partners at the airport about the announced warning strike in this sense."

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Ver.di has stated that it anticipates a sizable number of employees to participate in the scheduled strike. The trade union is requesting €500 more per month for ground handling and airport company employees as part of the continuing pay negotiations, although this is much more than what employers are now prepared to provide. Ver.di is requesting higher bonuses for night and weekend shifts as part of a countrywide negotiation for the working conditions of aviation security personnel.

A startling nine years later than expected, the Berlin Brandenburg Airport finally opened in October 2020. It took the place of the city's three prior entrances, Templehof, Schöenefeld, and Tegel.