EUROPE:(Chief Ikramuddin)According to UG News Media Europe Report,Ground staff at Deutsche Lufthansa went on strike early Wednesday, prompting the cancelation of more than 1,000 flights and adding to travel disruptions during the busy summer travel season.
Labour union Verdi had called for the walkout, which is due to run until 6 am (04:00 GMT) on Thursday, over its demand for a 9.5 percent pay hike for around 20,000 workers.
The move has caused Lufthansa to cancel nearly all flights at its Frankfurt and Munich hubs for Wednesday.
Strikes and staff shortages have already forced airlines including Lufthansa to cancel thousands of flights and caused hours-long queues at major airports, frustrating holidaymakers keen to travel after COVID-19 lockdowns.
Diego Lambiase, who was on his way from Africa to Paris, found himself stranded in Frankfurt on Wednesday when his onward flight was canceled.
“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,” he told Reuters TV at Germany’s busiest airport.
“We are looking for some Lufthansa people, but when we asked we were told it will be very hard to find someone from Lufthansa today at the airport. So we don’t know what to do,” he said.
Verdi last month demanded a 9.5 percent pay rise, or at least 350 euros ($368) more per month for 12 months, for around 20,000 workers who it says are being squeezed by inflation and have been overworked due to staffing shortages at airports.
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