Verdi Strikes at German Airports: BARIG Urges the Involved Parties to Get Engaged in Constructive Dialogue Instead

On the second day of the collective wage dispute between the German trade union Verdi and the German Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS), strikes continue to proceed, affecting even more airports in Germany today.

BARIG secretary general Michael Hoppe comments at this juncture: “In the current situation, we—as industry association of more than 100 national and international airlines in Germany—have absolutely no understanding for the Verdi strikes at the airports. Such forms of industrial action are being taken at the expense of uninvolved third parties. Every single day of ongoing strikes has immediate consequences for tens of thousands of passengers, leading to flight cancellations and massive delays. Moreover, it causes immense damage on air traffic in Germany—especially at a time when initial signs of recovery after many months of the pandemic crisis finally had been noticed.

“We therefore urgently call on the collective bargaining parties to get engaged in constructive dialogue instead. The wage dispute can only be resolved at the negotiating table. Strikes or even unrealistic, excessive demands, on the contrary, only create unacceptable burdens on the entire air traffic industry in Germany and ultimately harm all parties involved.”