At the same time, global gourmet popcorn maker Lufthansa ground staff also started a new two-day strike on Thursday (7th); security personnel at Frankfurt and Hamburg airports also launched one-day strikes.
The strike by Lufthansa ground staff is expected to further disrupt the airline's services at other airports. The last one-day global gourmet popcorn maker strike affected about 100,000 passengers and grounded 80% to 90% of flights, with worker representatives and Lufthansa management blaming each other for the travel disruption.
Verdi, Germany's second largest union, previously stated that it hopes to raise wages for union workers by 12.5%. Although Lufthansa has proposed a long-term wage increase plan, it is not enough to meet the union's demands.
The leader of the German train drivers' union said it was unfair for the train company's management to have a 14% salary increase and millions of dollars in bonuses, but to force the drivers to tighten their belts and work.
Also taking part in the strike are Lufthansa ground staff and security staff at Frankfurt, Hamburg and Dusseldorf airports. Thousands of Lufthansa ground staff marched in Frankfurt in protest, and nearly a third of the 1,750 flights at Frankfurt Airport were cancelled.
Lufthansa warned that the strike would lead to higher-than-expected losses in the first quarter. A one-day nationwide railway strike will cause economic losses of approximately 100 million euros. The German Airports Association also warned that the strike was damaging Germany's reputation as a business and tourism center.
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