Strikes cause major German airports to halt operations

Aviation security personnel are walking off the job in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, and Cologne on Thursday and Friday. The trade union Verdi is demanding pay raises to offset the rising cost of living. The Hamburg airport said the situation is calm and the departure terminals are empty. Verdi has been engaged in talks with Germany’s Federal Association of Flight Security Companies (BDLS) for years, but BDLS has refused to offer any improvements in terms of pay for security personnel working on Saturdays and Sundays. EVG has called for a nationwide transport strike on Friday, which will affect the operation of Germany’s Deutsche Bahn national railway company.