In the course of current contract negotiations, a day-long warning strike took place today, Wednesday, at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). The service union Verdi called upon roughly 6000 employees in the ground handling services, the airport company and aviation security to strike.
A large part of the workforce is involved in the strike. It has led to the cancellation of about 300 flight takeoffs and landings, which together affect about 35000 passengers. In the morning, there was also a rally by Verdi, where about 1500 strikers gathered on the airport grounds to once again make their demands known, for which they are fighting: 500 euros wage increase for twelve months. But this demand is vehemently opposed by the labor buyer. The collective bargaining negotiations in the airport company and in ground handling services are already entering their third and fourth rounds respectively (January 30: ground handling services; February 8: airport company). In aviation security, on the other hand, the eighth round is now pending. Since January 2020 - now three full years! - there has been no progress made whatsoever in the nationwide negotiations.
In the airport company, the labor buyer is neither willing to agree to the demanded wage increase, nor to the twelve-month term. Instead, an attempt was made to fob off the strikers with a one-time payment of an "inflation compensation premium" amounting to 2000 euros (trainees only 1000 euros) to replace an actual increase in the wage table. This offer was rejected by the union. In ground services, the demand for a longer term is particularly unwelcome, with the labor buyer wanting to raise the term to a full 36 months. In aviation security, the main issue is an increase in time bonuses.
The collective bargaining in the various areas of airport personnel happens in the light of the collective bargaining for the public service, which began on Tuesday. There, Verdi is making very similar demands, including at least a 500 euro wage increase instead of an inflation premium. And similar to Berlin Airport or Deutsche Post, a series of strikes could be imminent. The important thing is to stick to the justified demands for higher wages and to not settle for anything less, be it at the airport, at the post office or in the public sector.
