Travel in Germany Impacted by Strikes

Transportation throughout Germany has been brought to a halt amid a labor union strike that has been labeled one of the largest walkouts in decades. Trains, planes, and public transit systems have all been impacted by the one-day strike, according to multiple news reports.

All Lufthansa flights were to be grounded today (March 27) amid the widespread strikes, the Independent reported. The airline confirmed with the publication that all flights from Frankfurt and Munich would be affected disrupting travel for thousands of people. The airline also said that rebooking options for passengers are minimal and is asking individuals who have a domestic flight in Germany planned for the days ahead to take rail instead.

The strikes have also caused challenges for Lufthansa's IT service provider, including affecting the ability of passengers to check in for flights on the airline's app.

The 24-hour labor walkout comes in response to salary issues and an attempt to garner wage hikes that compensate for record inflation. The unions want a pay raise of 10.5 percent and have rebuffed offers from employers of 5 percent raises over two years and a one-off payment.

"We have recorded drops in real wages and these need to be balanced out," Ulrich Silberbach of the Civil Service Federation told reporters in Berlin, according to the Associated Press.

This is not the first time labor strikes in Germany have caused challenges in recent months. In February, flights across the country were canceled amid a labor walkout. That strike impacted seven airports-from Frankfurt and Munich to Hamburg.

Meanwhile, Germany's Airport Association ADV condemned today's massive strikes, calling them "beyond any imaginable and justifiable measure." The organization estimates that about 380,000 air passengers have experienced flight disruptions. Many travelers have been reportedly sleeping on benches.

Railway operations are also feeling the impacts of the labor action, with Deutsche Bahn canceling rail services, Reuters reported. Even cargo transport by rail and ship are caught up in the strike, as workers from ports and waterways have joined the walkout, according to the Associated Press.

Labor actions have been sweeping Europe. In France, strikes have been taking place repeatedly in recent days and weeks as workers there express frustration in response to recent pension and retirement age reforms enacted by French President Emmanuel Macron. The country's retirement age to receive full pension is being raised from 62 to 64 years old. While the new law is not yet in force, leading labor unions have promised demonstrations and protests will not stop until Macron scraps the changes.

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