Germany: Verdi union calls strikes at two major airports

The Verdi trade union on Friday announced that strikes would take place at the state of North Rhine-Westphalia's two biggest airports starting Sunday into Monday.

The walkouts at Cologne-Bonn and Düsseldorf International airports are set to last for a full 24 hours.

What do we know about the strikes?

Verdi announced that the strike would begin in Cologne on Sunday evening and in Düsseldorf on Monday morning.

The union said it expected "extensive effects on passenger flights at both airports."

The background to the walkouts is the wage dispute for public sector employees at both federal and municipal level.

A second round of wage negotiations in the eastern city of Potsdam on Tuesday ended without resolution.

Verdi and the civil service union subsequently announced that they would expand their industrial action nationwide before the next negotiations, set to begin on March 14.

Verdi is demanding eight percent more money, but at least €350 more per month, as well as higher bonuses for particularly stressful work.

"The employers' previous refusal to pay is also hitting employees at NRW airports hard," said Verdi regional director Gabriele Schmidt about the airport strikes.

He said many employees were under serious pressure due to the increasing workload and staff shortages.

"The often physically demanding work in all weathers is associated with high time pressure and responsibility for people and technology," he said.

How big are the two airports?

Düsseldorf International — a hub for the airline Eurowings — is Germany's fourth-largest airport, having handled more than 19 million passengers in 2023. It is a key destination for several other airlines.

Cologne-Bonn is the country's sixth-largest airport and was used by more than 10 million travelers last year. It is the third largest in the country in terms of freight shipped.