Surprise strike at Germany’s Hamburg Airport affects more than 40,000 passengers
BERLIN — Flight cancellations at Hamburg Airport after a surprise strike by workers affected more than 40,000 passengers on Sunday, a day before a planned wider protest across Germany amid new contract negotiations.
Only 10 of more than 280 scheduled flights went as planned early Sunday, the airport said. Many service desks sat empty as would-be passengers lined up to seek information about the cancellations. One big electronic departure board overhead had “canceled” in red next to the list of all flights.
The surprise walkout, which reportedly took place with only about a half-hour advance notice, came before a broader series of preannounced strikes across 13 airports in Germany on Monday, organized by the ver.di union.
The union, whose members work in areas including passenger services and cargo and goods screening, called for Sunday’s strike by security control staff to put pressure on company representatives amid collective bargaining talks.
“The behavior of the trade union ver.di is dishonorable: The strike without notice hits Hamburg Airport at the start of the vacation season,” airport spokeswoman Katja Bromm said in a statement. She said that on Monday, arrivals would be possible, and that “considerable disruptions and cancellations” were expected.
Bromm said that Sunday’s walkouts were “excessive and unfair to tens of thousands of travelers who have nothing to do with the disputes.”
For months, ver.di has been negotiating a new agreement that aims to improve occupational health and safety, provide more vacation days, an increase in the annual bonus to 50% and the freedom to choose a doctor for employees’ regular, mandatory medical exams, among other things.
Lars Stubbe, a trade union official, said that “a strike must cause economic damage.”
“We know that it is a massive burden for passengers. Our colleagues know that too. But they have said we have to go on strike. It must be effective, so that we have a reasonable offer to negotiate,” he said.
Some would-be passengers didn’t hide their frustration.
“I also wonder why it’s like this, because it was supposed to be a big strike tomorrow (Monday) — and why is it today?” said Alva Wetzel, who had hoped to travel. “It’s just stupid.”
Attorney General Bondi brushes aside questions about her handling of Epstein files
Pam Bondi sought to move past questions about her handling of the Justice Department's files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, as pressure continued to grow for her to release them.
Increase in military aid to Ukraine marks a shift in White House policy toward Russia
The Pentagon and U.S. military officials in Europe are working with NATO members to ship more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine and release more munitions that were briefly halted.
U.S. senator wants DOGE out of sensitive payment system for farmers
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., wants the USDA to revoke high-level access granted to the Department of Government Efficiency to a database that controls payments and loans to farmers and ranchers.
Lawyer says an Alabama teen who was killed by police was shot in the back
Authorities have not released police body camera video of the June 23 encounter or disclosed the name of the officer who shot 18-year-old Jabari Peoples in the parking lot of a soccer field in the affluent Birmingham suburb of Homewood. They also haven't released the findings of the county's official autopsy.
An Israeli restaurant owner quits a controversial Gaza food program after criticism
Shahar Segal, who runs popular restaurants around the world, has left his role as a spokesman for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation amid calls to boycott his businesses.
Trump’s pick for U.N. Ambassador grilled over Signal chat scandal
Former national security adviser Mike Waltz, who was removed from office amid the Signal chat controversy, spent Tuesday in the Senate confirmation hearing for his nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.