All flights set to depart from Berlin’s BER airport will be cancelled on Wednesday, January 25, as staff strike for higher wages and more secure work contracts.

Ver.di demand higher pay for BER workers

From 8am on Wednesday security and aircraft maintenance staff at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) are set to strike, Germany’s biggest trade union ver.di, has announced. 1.500 employees are set to walk out as their union continues negotiations to secure a 500 euro per month average pay rise for workers. 

As with the recent nationwide postal strike, ver.di has said that BER employees’ salaries do not factor in the cost of living crisis and is demanding that workers be issued more secure and longer contracts. Ver.di claims that most airport staff are only issued one-year contracts.

Around 35.000 passengers will be affected by the Wednesday strikes. “We’re doing everything we can to minimise the inconvenience to our customers,” a company spokesperson told Berliner Morgenpost.

What can you do if your BER flight is cancelled?

According to the same spokesperson, “Affected customers have the option to rebook their flight or receive a refund. Hotel accommodation and meals are provided where required.”

Anyone who was planning to fly to or from BER tomorrow should contact the airline with whom they booked their flight tickets. EasyJet however, has said that it will contact customers directly.

Unfortunately, since the airport and not the airlines are responsible for the cancellations, the EU law which usually grants passengers with cancelled, overbooked and delayed flights a compensation payment of 600 euros does not apply in this scenario.

Thumb image credit: Jiaye Liu / Shutterstock.com