For Finnair, the strike interfering with operations at Helsinki is related to the dispute between the Finnish Aviation Union and the service sector employer union, Palta, regarding labour agreements in Airpro Oy. Some of Finnair’s cancellations are already spilling over into tomorrow’s flight schedule and customers due to travel on a Finnair flight today, or on one of the other potential strike days (14 March and 17 March), are being invited to change their travel date free of charge until April 2, in light of the disruption.
As for Berlin, the trade union, Verdi, called for its 2,000 ground crew to protest labour conditions at both Tegel and Schönefeld airports today, just a few weeks after the major disruption of the union’s February action.
Strikes started at 4am this morning and are due to continue until 5am tomorrow. Tegel airport had already reported 70 flight cancellations by yesterday afternoon and affected airlines include Germanwings, Brussels Airlines, British Airways and Iberia Express, with Lufthansa cancelling all of its flights between Munich and Frankfurt and Berlin. In addition to the 455 flights now reported to be cancelled at Tegel, a further 204 flights have been cancelled at Schönefeld, affecting the likes of Ryanair, easyJet and Aeroflot, amongst others.
As before, the strikes are due to conflict over pay. Verdi has been negotiating with a group representing companies that provide ground services to airports. On March 7, the group reportedly offered an 8% pay rise over the course of three years, but the union rejected this proposal, insisting on a 10% raise of €1 per hour.
