BERLIN – A German labor union has called on workers at seven of the country’s airports, including the two biggest, to go on strike Friday to press demands for inflation-busting pay increases. A series of flights have been canceled.
The Verdi union said Wednesday that the one-day walkout by civil aviation security and ground staff would affect the airports in Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hannover and Bremen.
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Munich airport said later in the afternoon that it would suspend most passenger flights because of the walk-out — with the exception of relief flights, flights for medical, technical and other emergencies, and flights for the Munich Security Conference, which begins on Friday.
Still, the strike is likely to affect arrivals of those scheduled to come on regular flights to attend the annual conference which runs through Sunday.
More than 700 takeoffs and landings were planned in Munich, Germany’s second biggest airport, on Friday, German news agency dpa reported.
Later in the day, both Frankfurt and Hamburg airport also announced they would cancel all passenger flights Friday due to the strike.
Frankfurt is the country’s biggest airport and a major hub for intercontinental travel.
The union is demanding a pay rise of 10.5% to counter the effects of high inflation that their members have endured.