Strikes of flight attendants and drivers in Germany: what is happening?

A number of strikes by transport unions continue in Germany. Members of Deutsche Bahn and Lufthansa disagree with wages and working conditions.

Lufthansa's flight attendants' unions are demanding a 15% pay rise, while the drivers' unions are calling on Deutsche Bahn to reduce the working week to 35 hours. Hundreds of flights have been canceled due to these strikes, Euronews reports.

It is noted that about 600 flights were canceled at the largest airport in Frankfurt am Main, which will affect 70 thousand passengers. A similar protest is expected to take place in Munich this Wednesday, March 13. According to Lufthansa's forecasts, about 1,000 flights will have to be canceled as a result of the employees' actions.

The GDL trade union is trying to force Deutsche Bahn to introduce a 35-hour working week with full pay. In turn, Deutsche Bahn offers to reduce the working week from the current 38 to 36 hours as a compromise.

It is noted that the reduction of the working week would mean the introduction of a 4-day working week and an automatic salary increase. Deutsche Bahn does not agree to such a decision, as it will further exacerbate the shortage of staff amid the upcoming retirements of a large number of drivers. In turn, the GDL trade union is convinced that such a work schedule will be attractive to the profession and employees will have a more stable work schedule.

It is known that the strike will last for 24 hours and should end in the morning, on Wednesday, March 13. Recently, the trade unions of the German railway company Deutsche Bahn have been on strike for the sixth time since November 2023.

It has become known that the German railroad operator Deutsche Bahn is filing a lawsuit against the GDL driver's union in connection with the new strikes, considering them illegal. According to the company, this threatens the normal functioning of logistics and passenger transportation across the country.

The lawsuit states that Deutsche Bahn is calling on the drivers to abandon the action and return to negotiations based on the proposal for a 36-hour workweek without a pay cut.

If you plan to travel in Europe, you will have to buy public transportation tickets. TravelWise writes about which countries have the cheapest prices and how to buy them.