A two-day strike by ground crew and security staff at Munich Airport, Germany’s second-largest airport, began on Thursday, causing widespread disruption. The strike, organized by the Verdi union, is expected to cancel hundreds of flights. Only about 100 of the 830 scheduled takeoffs and landings will proceed as planned on Thursday.
Verdi is demanding an eight percent pay rise for workers or at least 350 euros more per month, along with higher bonuses for particularly stressful roles and additional days off. The union emphasized that ground and security staff play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and reliability of air traffic under all conditions. The increasing workload and ongoing staff shortages have created significant burdens for employees.
The strike, which will continue until midnight Friday, comes at a busy time for travel, especially ahead of the carnival season in southern Bavaria. Negotiations for the next round of talks are scheduled for March 14.
The strike has also affected other airports in Germany. Workers at Hamburg airport began their strike Thursday night, but the airport has managed to maintain normal flight operations apart from those cancelled flights to Munich. Additionally, workers had previously struck at Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf airports on Monday.
