A Lufthansa Airbus A321 departs Berlin-Tegel wearing retro colors last September. Photo: Erik Frikke – OPShots Contributor //
Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) canceled close to 40 percent of its flights on Thursday as staff went on strike on the eve of wage talks with the German airline, which is trying to cut costs to compete with Middle East and low-cost carriers.
The strike, announced by labor union Verdi on Wednesday, left exasperated passengers stranded as they waited in long lines snaking through Frankfurt airport’s Terminal 1, the home of Lufthansa.
“Once a year, I fly to Germany around this time of year. Last year I got stuck in a strike, and now it’s happening again,” said passenger Markus Friedrich, adding not much remained of the “German efficiency” for which his home country is known.
A group of Japanese teenagers slept on the ground in a corner of the building, kept company by piles of suitcases waiting for pickup. The strike was to end mid-morning but cause delays and almost 700 cancellations throughout the day.
via Pay strike grounds 40 percent of Lufthansa flights – Yahoo! Finance.
