Strike Paralyses BER Airport: No Flights on Wednesday

Tuesday, 17 March

Flights are grounded at BER airport on Wednesday. There will be no regular passenger flights at all, with around 445 departures and landings cancelled and 57,000 passengers affected, as airport staff are on strike over a pay dispute currently being negotiated by the Verdi trade union. In particular, members of the airport fire service, maintenance workshops, and administrative staff have been called upon to walk out, with Verdi demanding a 6% pay increase for its members, or at least an additional €250 each month, under a new 12-month collective agreement.

Verdi's chief negotiator, Holger Rössler, dismissed [the offer] as "not a serious offer but a provocation"

Negotiations are entering a crucial phase: this is merely a Warnstreik – a warning strike – meaning it is only a taste of things to come unless management agrees to a suitable deal. The next round of negotiations between the airport and the union is scheduled for March 25.

Management reportedly offered a deal averaging roughly 1% raises per year until 2028, which Verdi's chief negotiator, Holger Rössler, dismissed as "not a serious offer but a provocation". It is worth noting that the inflation shock of 2021 left German workers poorer in real terms than they were before prices started rising – and with services inflation still running at 3.2%, the squeeze is far from over. This strike does not happen in a vacuum.

The management of the airport, predictably, are not pleased, describing the action as "disproportionate" and even invoking the "very tense situation due to the war involving Iran" as a reason why airport staff ought to fall into line.

Verdi represents around 2,000 workers at BER and, with the Easter holidays approaching, tensions could escalate unless an agreement is reached.