GERMANY: Flights to and from Germany are likely to be disrupted this morning after the country's most powerful union called for work stoppages at Frankfurt airport, Europe's busiest airline hub.
Verdi, Germany's largest services union, plans to "bring Frankfurt airport to a halt" this morning by grounding all flights before 9.30 a.m., causing chaos for dozens of domestic flights.
Aer Lingus said it was confident its passengers would experience no serious delays this morning: its first flights to and from Frankfurt begin at 10 a.m.
"The timing of the strike is regrettable. But if it is a go-slow rather than an all-out strike, it shouldn't be too bad," said Mr Eamonn Cunningham, Aer Lingus area manager in Frankfurt.
"We expect longer than usual check-in times and fewer airport personnel showing up for work," he said.
However, he said passengers should check-in at the usual time.
German national carrier Lufthansa was similarly confident that today's flights between Ireland and Frankfurt will not be affected.
"We are extremely annoyed at Verdi for this strike," said Mr Thomas Jachnow, press spokesman for Lufthansa.
"We have absolutely no sympathy for this strike that will be borne by travellers in the pre-Christmas period."
Frankfurt International is one of the busiest air traffic hubs in continental Europe, handling over 1,200 flights and over 165,000 passengers daily.
Lufthansa operates 60 per cent of flights from Frankfurt International.
A full list of flights affected by today's action is available on the company's website.
Around 2,000 Verdi members, including baggage and freight staff, are expected to demonstrate outside the main terminal building this morning.
Frankfurt-Hahn airport, the German hub of Ryanair, is not affected by today's industrial action.
Today's threatened action comes after the union halted the public transport yesterday in several cities, including Munich and Wiesbaden, causing traffic chaos.
The stoppages are a show of strength by Verdi ahead of tomorrow's round of pay talks, where the union will push for a pay rise of at least 3 per cent for Germany's 3 million public sector workers and the harmonisation of pay levels between western and eastern states.
Mr Frank Bsirske, the head of Verdi, said that the union will "move towards widespread action" if no deal is reached at the talks.
Mr Otto Schily, the interior minister leading the government side at talks, is calling for a pay freeze next year, saying that strikes "would be the worst possible response from the unions".
