Millions affected by German air and rail strikes

Two-day strike by Lufthansa ground staff has coincided with a 35-hour strike by train drivers. Only 20% of long-distance trains were running and Frankfurt airport cancelled all departures. The strikes are the latest in a wave of industrial action to hit Germany. Germany has faced months of strikes as union members and service operators wrestle over pay rises and working hours.

Flights have also been greatly reduced, with German airline Lufthansa saying earlier this week that about 1,000 flights per day would be cancelled, affecting about 200,000 air passengers. The Ver. di union - which represents some 25,000 airline ground staff - is demanding a 12. 5% pay rise.

The union also wants an inflation compensation bonus of €3,000. The airline has offered to increase pay by 10%, after it announced on Thursday that its profits had doubled in 2023 to €1. 67bn from €791m in 2022. Ver.

di says ground staff are barely earning the minimum wage, despite Lufthansa boasting a high profit. Ground employees with hourly wages of €13 in some cases no longer even know how to make ends meet in Germany’s most expensive cities.

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