Flight cancelled following security staff strike at German airports

Following Monday's announcement by Germany's second largest workers' union ver.di, security staff at eight German airports went on a one-day strike in the continuing wage dispute on Tuesday.

The strike action affects Germany's largest airport Frankfurt am Main as well as the airports of Munich, Hamburg, Hanover, Bremen, Leipzig/Halle, Dresden and Erfurt. Ver.di expects that the strike action will severely restrict German air traffic.

In Frankfurt alone, 570 of the planned 1,200 arrivals and departures had to be cancelled. Frankfurt airport operator Fraport announced on Tuesday that "we therefore strongly advise all originating passengers from Frankfurt to avoid coming to the airport."

Ver.di is increasing the pressure in the current wage negotiations through the warning strikes. Ver.di is demanding hourly wages of 20 euros (22.9 U.S. dollars) nationwide for about 23,000 air security staff.

Ver.di is also calling for unified payments across passenger, freight, personnel and goods control at airports as well as the equalization of wages between eastern and western Germany.

"We are appealing to the partners of the collective bargaining agreement to find a mutual agreement together," a Fraport spokesperson commented earlier.