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Lufthansa strike paralyzes German airports again

February 20, 2024

A second round of industrial action this month has affected 100,000 passengers. Trade union Verdi has urged Lufthansa to come to a wage agreement.

https://p.dw.com/p/4ccUW
Canceled flights at Frankfurt Airport after another protest action by Verdi
Lufthansa passengers are urged to rebook online if their flight is canceledImage: Boris Roessler/dpa/picture alliance

Another strike by employees of German airline Lufthansa has canceled the majority of flights at seven German airports across the country.

Flights canceled in Germany

Over 100,000 passengers have been impacted by the industrial action, with the Frankfurt and Munich airports particularly disrupted. The strike, initiated by trade union Verdi, began at 4 a.m. local German time Tuesday and will conclude a little after 7 a.m. on Wednesday.  

Some IT workers and technicians began the industrial action even earlier on Monday evening. 

Lufthansa on Tuesday urged customers to not come to the airport if their flight has been canceled. It said it could offer only 10 to 20% of its flight schedule on the affected days.

A demonstration by the Verdi union near a German airport terminal
Lufthansa union workers hope that this latest round of strikes will force management to come to the negotiating tableImage: Boris Roessler/dpa/picture alliance

Verdi members also held demonstrations near airport terminals.     

Trade unions pile pressure on Lufthansa 

It's the second time Lufthansa workers have gone on strike this month. The regular industrial action is an attempt to pressure Lufthansa's management into raising pay and providing a bonus to help employees cope with inflation.  

Passengers walk through a terminal at Frankfurt Airport amid the Verdi union action
The protest action means German airports are much less busyImage: Michael Probst/AP/picture alliance

"We have now proved twice that we can strike," Verdi representative Marvin Reschinsky told German news agency dpa on Tuesday.

As many workers continue to participate in the action, Reschinsky suggested, "It would therefore be wise to come to a conclusion now."  

wd/wmr (AFP, dpa) 

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