Berlin’s airport said it has cancelled all passenger flights on Wednesday because of a strike organised by the Verdi union, severing the German capital from international air travel.
The dispute means that 300 takeoffs and landings won’t be possible, affecting about 35,000 passengers, according to a statement by the BER airport operator. Among the airport’s biggest airlines are discount specialist EasyJet Plc and Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
A spokesperson for Lufthansa said the airline was offering passengers rebooked flights on Thursday or train alternatives.
One flight, operated by national carrier Luxair and originally scheduled to depart at 6:40pm, is also affected by the cancellations.
Labour union Verdi called the warning strike, citing dissatisfaction with proposals made in three rounds of collective bargaining negotiations by the airport’s management.
It’s demanding an increase of €500 a month for ground services employees over a 12-month period as well as higher bonuses for air security personnel who work weekends and public holidays.
“The workers are massively overloaded,” Enrico Ruemker, leader of the Verdi union’s transport section in Berlin, said by phone, adding that there are no further walkouts planned to coincide with the looming winter holiday in the capital next week. “This is the airlines’ fault for pursuing strategies of offering the cheapest tickets possible.”
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