Berlin’s Tegel and Schonefeld airports are facing another day of serious disruption as a result of industrial action by ground staff.
The strike is set to last from 04:00 on 13 March until 05:00 the following day.
“After the end of the strike action, restrictions in air traffic may continue,” says Berlin Airports, the operator of Tegel and Schonefeld.
German union Verdi, which is orchestrating the strike, says around 2,000 personnel work in ground services at the capital airports.
It had already conducted a stoppage at Berlin on 10 March.
Verdi claims that poor salary levels and working conditions in the sector have left “hundreds” of jobs unfilled despite a strong rise in Berlin passenger numbers.
The union suggests the situation originally stems from the European Union’s liberalisation of ground-handling operations, requiring greater competition in ground services through the introduction of additional providers.
“This liberalisation took place at the expense of workers and the quality of services,” it says, claiming that the competition has been “merciless” and that it has concerns over workload and safety.
Verdi is negotiating on behalf of employees at several ground-services companies at Tegel and Schonefeld, among them WISAG, AeroGround Berlin and Swissport Berlin. It is seeking a higher wage scale and other benefits for staff.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
