in this context of increasing War pressures, the word “strike” could easily mean bombing. So, we should stop these stupid titles and use the proper “walkout” term.
I also had a brief heart attack here
“Surprise” strike is a bit of a stretch, I would say. The union announced a list of the 10 airports where strikes occur today on friday and HAM is included in this list.
I’m all for strikes but surprise strike? That is a pretty heavy escalation. I do not know however how the negotiations were going the last months, so maybe it’s justified. As a passenger I would be super pissed though
It is highly unusual for Germany. The involved union verdi is about as non-confrontational as imaginable. They have bled many members in areas such as hospitals, public administration, muncipal water, trash collection, public transport, construction and the like over the past decades because they hardly ever show teeth.
As a result usually the employer side just walks over them, which is part of why many crucial services in Germany are notoriously understaffed.
It is a good and necessary change of course by them, but also indicates the negotiations to not be taken seriously again by the employers side.
