GERMANY: Five days of strikes at Frankfurt airport set to end after union agrees to start fresh pay talks for around 200 workers

Record ID: 340656

  • Title: GERMANY: Five days of strikes at Frankfurt airport set to end after union agrees to start fresh pay talks for around 200 workers
  • Date: 23rd February 2012
  • Summary: FRANKFURT, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 22, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF HOTEL AT FRANKFURT AIRPORT WHERE AIRPORT OPERATOR "FRAPORT" HELD NEWS CONFERENCE, PLANE FLYING PAST STEFAN SCHULTE, FRAPORT CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND AIDES ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) "FRAPORT" FRANKFURT AIRPORT OPERATOR CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, STEFAN SCHULTE, SAYING: "We are r
  • Embargoed: 9th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Business,Employment,Politics,Travel / Tourism,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVADYVS9UZW2Q3C3DIN1BILKKEMY
  • Story Text: A walkout by ground crew who guide aircraft to parking positions at Frankfurt airport will end on Wednesday evening (February 22) after the union agreed to start fresh pay talks for around 200 workers.
    The strike began last week and was due to continue until the weekend.
    Airport operator Fraport earlier on Wednesday wrote to the GdF union, proposing new talks without preconditions, but only if the strike was called off.
    The GdF, which wants higher pay and shorter working hours, said it would end the strike at 2100 GMT and hoped to start new talks with Fraport on Thursday (February 23).
    Just over a thousand flights have been cancelled since last Thursday (February 16), the vast majority of them from flagship carrier Lufthansa, which has mostly scrapped European services to give priority to intercontinental travellers.
    Lufthansa accounts for more than half of flights at the airport. It said the first four days of the strike have so far cost it a high double-digit million euro sum in turnover.
    Analysts previously estimated the first two strike days had crimped turnover by about 40 million euros ($53 million). Lufthansa had group revenue of 27 billion euros in 2010.
    Lufthansa's shares have barely been affected so far but on Wednesday were down 3.3 percent. Fraport said it has lost turnover of around 7 million euros.
    It expected around 174 cancellations from a total of 1,260 slights scheduled on Wednesday. The Lufthansa website showed just over 140 cancelled flights on Wednesday.
    More flights may have to be cancelled on Thursday as planes are out of position, Fraport said.
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