German Union Calls for Lufthansa Ground Staff to Strike on Wednesday

A strike by Lufthansa ground workers on Wednesday could add to the increasingly chaotic European summer travel season. 

On Monday, ver.di service workers union, which represents members from over 1,000 different occupations, called for Lufthansa ground workers to go on an all-day “warning strike” to pressure Lufthansa ahead of the August negotiation.

The union called on ground workers at all Lufthansa locations—Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, and more—to strike starting at 3:45 a.m. GST on Wednesday through 6 a.m. GST on Thursday.

The strike could cause some more issues for European travelers—ver.di represents those responsible for maintenance and those who push back aircraft at those airports, making cancellations and delays likely for Lufthansa passengers on Wednesday.

“ver.di called for the all-day warning strike to increase the pressure on employers to submit a significantly improved, final offer in the next round of negotiations,” the union said in a statement on Monday.

ver.di is seeking a 9.5% pay increase and an increase in the hourly wage (from 12 euros to 13 euros) for its members. The union said that airports are becoming increasingly “overburdening” for its members due to continuing staff shortages, and high inflation and a three-year wage cut have kept its employees under pressure.

“They urgently need more money and they need relief—for themselves and for the passengers,” ver.di vice said.

The next round of negotiations between Lufthansa and the workers will take place on Aug. 3 and 4.