German Airport Ground Staff Negotiations Collapse, Mediation Phase Announced

Union Verdi declares talks with employers unsuccessful as mediation begins after Easter, with potential for new strikes if no agreement is reached.

Negotiations between Verdi and German airport employers over extending a public service agreement to 30,000 ground handling employees have failed.
Employers declined to apply the terms of the broader TVöD agreement to airport ground staff, citing an insufficient offer as the cause of the breakdown.
Verdi has initiated a mediation process, set to begin after Easter, enforcing a temporary no-strike period under Friedenspflicht rules.
The union warns that if mediation does not yield a satisfactory resolution, strikes at German airports could resume, disrupting travel plans.
This dispute highlights disparities in the treatment of public sector workers, as other sectors reached agreements that excluded airport ground staff.