Airport strike cancels thousands of flights in Germany

BERLIN (AP) — Thousands of flights to and from German airports were canceled Friday as workers went on strike, demanding wage increases to cope with rising inflation.

The strike, which was called at seven airfields across the country, including Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg, affected nearly 300,000 passengers and forced airlines to cancel more than 2,300 flights.

If a meaningful pay deal is not reached with the companies, the summer could be “chaotic” at German airports, Christine Behle of the Verdi union told public radio RBB-Inforadio.

The union is demanding a 10.5% rise for its members, or at least 500 euros, to compensate for high inflation in Germany and other regions last year due to the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on world food and energy prices.

Speaking to the weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, the president of the union, Frank Werneke, indicated that the will of its members to strike was great and that in the future the walkouts could reach “another dimension”.

In addition, he pointed out that recent protests at airports, public transport and nurseries could be extended to trash removal and hospitals.