BERLIN (Reuters) – German trade union Verdi has called on technical staff at Hamburg Airport to go on strike on Friday, just as school holidays in the region kick off, adding to the existing industry-wide crunch.
Airlines around the world had slashed jobs and other costs during the coronavirus pandemic, which grounded most flights, and have found themselves in a quandary as demand returned amid the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
Verdi said on Wednesday that some 200 employees responsible for infrastructure maintenance at Germany’s fifth busiest airport would walk off the job for 24 hours to protest at the lack of a pay rise during the pandemic period.
The union said it was demanding an 8.5% salary increase over 12 months for staff at Real Estate Maintenance GmbH (RMH) at Hamburg Airport, who are responsible for maintenance of infrastructure including luggage handling machinery and runways.
The union said the company had offered a pay increase of 4% a year for two years.
The airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the expected impact.
School holidays in the neighbouring northern German states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania begin on Friday, and Hamburg schools end for the summer on July 7.
(Reporting by Klaus Lauer; Writing by Zuzanna Szymanska; Editing by Alison Williams)
