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FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Lufthansa passengers were again put to a tough test of patience on Tuesday. After more than 1000 flight cancellations as a result of another Verdi warning strike on the ground, hopes are now being pinned on the wage negotiations, which are to continue on Wednesday. Parallel to the talks at Lufthansa headquarters in Frankfurt, the union is negotiating with the private aviation security companies in Berlin. On February 1, around 25,000 employees also staged a warning strike at the passenger checkpoints, resulting in more than 1,100 flight cancellations.

Verdi is using the strike power of the groups of air transport employees it represents. Without a prior ballot, the warning strikes underpin the respective negotiations for more pay and recognition. "The good old ground is over," was the message at the protest rally with around 1000 participants in front of Lufthansa headquarters on Tuesday. The union has not yet threatened an indefinite strike - and probably won't have to.

The warning strike was particularly noticeable at the Munich and Frankfurt hubs, but Lufthansa flights were also canceled at many other airports. Lufthansa had warned affected passengers not to come to the airport because no rebookings are possible there. There were also strike actions in Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Koln/Bonn and Stuttgart. Flights to the two Lufthansa hubs were also canceled at other airports.

The Verdi warning strike by ground staff will run from Monday evening until Wednesday morning. Chief Human Resources Officer Michael Niggemann calls it "disproportionate", but he can't really do anything about it. "We have now proven twice that we can strike," says Verdi chief negotiator Marvin Reschinsky. "It would therefore be wise to come to a conclusion now."

Comparison with the public sector

The trade unionist insists on a higher offer. Compared to the pilots, the salary increases offered to ground staff were far too low, he told his colleagues. The comparison made by Lufthansa that the offer corresponds to the agreement in the public sector does not hold water. "We don't have tight budgets at Lufthansa. And unlike in the public sector, employees still have a lot of catching up to do from the coronavirus era."

The Group, which has since been rescued by the state, has risen steeply from the coronavirus ashes. The billions of euros in state aid have been repaid, and in a few days Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr plans to present one of the highest operating profits in the company's history at around 2.7 billion euros.

More expensive tickets brought the Group record income in the summer. Forecasts for this year are also positive thanks to a worldwide shortage of aircraft capacity and strong demand.

Verdi is demanding 12.5 percent more pay for the more than 20,000 ground staff as well as an inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros for a period of one year. Lufthansa has offered the bonus in a piecemeal form as well as around 10 percent more pay, albeit much later and for a period more than twice as long. It seems to be only a matter of payment points and duration, but a Lufthansa spokesman left open whether the company would increase the offer. If so, negotiations could continue on Thursday, said Verdi negotiator Reschinsky.

Five rounds without a result

The situation in aviation security is similar after five rounds of negotiations without results. The bargaining partners have agreed from the outset to hold the sixth round over two days. Verdi is demanding a flat-rate increase of 2.80 euros per hour for passenger and baggage screeners. Together with other demands, this amounts to a volume of between 13.6 and 20.25 percent, the employers from the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies have calculated.

This would significantly exceed the required compensation for inflation and would not be economically feasible. "Our aim is to sustainably compensate for the loss of purchasing power for employees. The work of aviation security staff must remain financially attractive so that the urgently needed skilled workers can be recruited and retained," countered Verdi negotiator Wolfgang Pieper./ceb/DP/mis