Arbitration for German airport security staff begins amid strikes

After several rounds of strikes at Germany's airports, arbitration for private aviation security staff began on Friday at a secret location.

Former Bremen state councillor Hans-Henning Lühr was tasked with reconciling the differing positions of the trade union Verdi and the the employers' association BDLS.

The parties have initially set themselves a deadline of midnight (2200 GMT) on Sunday. Verdi has undertaken not to call for any further work stoppages by the approximately 25,000 employees of the security service providers until the end of the arbitration process.

According to Verdi negotiator Wolfgang Pieper, the issues being tackled include salary increases, speed of implementation and bonuses for trainers and managers.

After six rounds of negotiations so far and several waves of strikes, overtime bonuses remain the major sticking point.

Verdi is demanding bonuses "from the first hour of overtime." So far, there have been time buffers without bonuses and temporary overtime is offset via calculated annual working hours.

Pieper says that the system is designed in such a way that practically nobody receives overtime bonuses and only the employers benefit from the flexibility buffer.

Meanwhile Lufthansa resumed negotiations with the Ufo cabin crew union on Thursday. They are seeking a pay rise for approximately 18,000 flight attendants at Germany's flagship airline.

Last week, arbitration led by the Thuringian State Premier Bodo Ramelow and the former head of the German employment agency Frank-Jürgen Weise resulted in a wage agreement for approximately 25,000 Lufthansa ground staff.

They are to receive salary increases averaging 12.5% within two years as well as a €3,000 inflation compensation bonus.