Easter vacationers need not be worried , the fear of strike has been successfully removed by the 'no-industrial-action' obligation for two years !
But , is this the ideal agreement , that 25,000 workers employed in airport security departments wanted , amid prevailing conditions ?
Federal Statistical Office says , Inflation is more than 7, and now touching the highest level in 48 years , inflation will take a toll in the lives of these workers , not to mention about the working conditions. Question is , will this "Collective bargaining agreement" solve the purpose ?
After much resistance , on 28th March , Labour union Verdi and the Federal Association of Aviation Security (BDLS) said that a comprehensive collective agreement had been reached.
Chief negotiator Wolfgang Pieper said,
"With this collective bargaining agreement, wage conditions in the aviation security industry and work can be made more attractive, despite unfavourable working hours and numerous operational problems."
However workers believe, the agreement failed to address the concern, and does not meet the needs of the workers, since the agreed wage increases are well below the 'current level of inflation'.
The voice is , in a bid to suppress the growing resistance at Germany’s airports , employers have come out winners of the negotiation, that successfully arrested the ability of 25,000 workers of airport security by binding them with the new contract for "no-industrial-action" obligation for two years , i.e. from January 2022 to January 2024.
This is again a breach, against the inital mass agreement to a deal , that would have been valid 'only for a 12 months' period , and many workers do not feel good about that.
Crude oil rates have inflated everything ,and literally the new pay rates fall well short of the current level of inflation , adding woes to this are the irregular round-the-clock shift work for these airport workers, for which personal cars are a must.
BDLS negotiator, who saw wage increases at up to 28% , believes the package means massive cost increases for employers that are "very painful" , but question arises , is there any explanation for the induced workload stress due to the 10 percent of the workforce laid off during the pandemic ?
There was a time, Verdi had warned to go for two full-day strikes on March 14th - 15th and 22nd during the negotiations , that was an welcome step and was also a testimony that security workers can very much halt the flight operation , but all that willingness has departed with flights now ! The worst is , the industrial action by airport security workers has been sold out.
Display - File photo / Grant Wissenbach.
