Strike takes Lufthansa operations out of gear in Germany
Some 1,700 flights cancelled as Lufthansa pilots strike
A strike by the ground staff of Germany's national carrier Lufthansa hit operations of the airline on Wednesday (July 27). The strike led to cancellation of more than 1000 flights and added to travel woes of thousands of passengers. A powerful labour union Verdi has called for the strike. The strike is due to run until 6 am (0400 GMT) on Thursday.
The strike has been called to demand greater salary hike than what Lufthansa has offered.
The strike has caused Lufthansa to cancel nearly all flights at Frankfurt and Munich, the airline's domestic hubs.
Reuters quoted a passenger who was om his way from Africa to Paris and was stranded in Frankfurt.
"They say I will be rebooked tomorrow, but nobody was here when we arrived in order to say what we have to do, where we have to go, where we will sleep," said Diego Lambiase, the passenger.
Verdi last month demanded a pay rise of 9.5 per cent. This comes to 350 euros (USD 368) for around 20,000 workers who say inflation has hit them hard.
Lufthansa had offered an increase of 150 euros per month for the rest of this year and another 100 euros from the start of 2023, plus a 2% increase from mid-2023 dependent on the company's financial results
(With inputs from agencies)
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