Overworking conditions, employees have taken down their tools. 80 German cities have cancelled local buses, trams, and subway trains. Hamburg Airport has also been affected. Following a strike that caused planes to crash yesterday, workers in the transportation sector went on strike for the third time in two weeks. Travellers will experience varying effects based on the city they are in. 

What are the reasons behind this strike?

Germany was hit by a "warning strike" as service workers unions demanded higher wages and improved working conditions due to inflation and staff shortages. Strikes target the transportation sector, affecting millions of travellers and commuters.

The strike affected Hamburg Airport the most and warned passengers to check before travelling to the airport.

"The trade union Ver.di is calling for a full-day warning strike by ground handling services on Friday, 02.02.24," the Hamburg airport declared. Due to the unpredictable nature of travel disruptions, passengers are urged to stay informed about the status of their flights and to get in touch with their airline."

Affected service providers include Groundstars, Stars, and Cats. Ver.di states that their staff members are in charge of handling baggage, loading and unloading the aircraft, providing technical equipment, de-icing, and cleaning the interiors of the aircraft.

Verdi anticipates that the walkout will highlight the grievances of the roughly 900 ground staff members at Hamburg airport. These consist of a pay raise and an inflation compensation bonus.

Why is the strike happening?

On Monday, the Ver.di service workers' union demanded a strike; given that negotiations on new pay contracts for the approximately 90,000 workers of more than 130 local transport companies have stalled, the organisation's deputy chair, Christine Behle, said that "the time has now come to exert more pressure on employers.