Strike by Berlin ground staff prompts 200 flight cancelations

Reuters
Members of Germany's mighty Verdi union take part in a warning strike by ground services, security checks and check-in staff at Berlin Tegel airport, Germany, on February 8, 2017. (REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke)

BERLIN: Around 200 flights were canceled ahead of a strike over pay by ground staff at Berlin’s two airports expected to start later on Thursday.
There were 146 cancelations at Tegel and 54 at Schoenefeld airports and 12 flights were redirected to other German airports, a spokesman for Berlin’s airports said.
Trade union Verdi has called for walk-outs at the two airports from 1500 GMT to 2100 GMT. A strike on Wednesday last week led to more than 130 flights being canceled.
Verdi wants an increase in pay for ground staff to €12 an hour from about €11 as part of a one-year collective agreement. Ground staff jobs include checking in passengers, loading and unloading planes and directing them on the tarmac.
The union described as “insufficient” management’s offer of a four-year deal, which foresees a rise of 1 percent each year, or about 10 cents an hour.
The employers, a group of airport ground services providers, said in a statement the renewed strike was “incomprehensible” as talks were still ongoing. The next round of pay talks is due to take place on Friday.
Berlin’s airports are served by carriers including Air Berlin, Lufthansa, easyJet and Ryanair among others.