Germany faces day of travel chaos as airport, rail staff strike

Germany’s air and rail services ground to a halt Monday during a one-day strike as workers join peers in France and the UK to fight for higher pay. The walkout also affects some ports, with the Verdi and EVG transport and railway unions coming together in a strike that resulted in severe disruption to travel. Verdi is demanding a raise of 10.5% for public sector workers. Major airports including Frankfurt and Munich won’t operate Monday. Frankfurt Airport advised passengers changing planes to avoid the hub. Long-distance, regional and local trains operated by Deutsche Bahn and other railway will also come to a standstill, EVG said. Frankfurt airport, Germany’s biggest, was expected to handle more 1,100 takeoffs and landing on a normal Monday. Verdi Hamburg on Saturday said it has made agreements with all affected companies in order to guarantee safe passage in the event of accidents, emergency landings or medical or patient transport. Travelers already got a taste of the chaos Sunday when Deutsche Lufthansa AG was forced to cancel some flights due to technical issues. Europe’s biggest airline group has suffered a spate of strikes and operational mishaps in recent months, riling passengers as air travel comes back from the pandemic and more people gear up to fly on their Easter vacation.<br/>