German Air-Traffic Controllers Plan Strike

(Bloomberg) Germany’s air-traffic controllers will stage a six-hour strike over pay this week in a protest that could affect thousands of flights at Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA) and dozens of other airlines, the GdF union said today.

The GdF will ask 3,400 controllers to walk out between 6 a.m. and noon on Aug. 4 after rejecting revised wage proposals from Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH, Germany’s air navigation service provider, the labor group said in a statement.

Almost 96 percent of union members backed industrial action in a poll result announced yesterday, and talks are at a point where there is “no alternative other than to strike,” the GdF said. Lufthansa said it’s following the situation with “great concern” and urged the sides to reach a settlement, while DFS said it’s not clear how severe potential disruption might be.

“We’re trying to find a solution but we don’t know if we’ll manage by Thursday morning,” DFS Managing Director Jens Bergmann said at a press conference in Frankfurt. “We don’t know exactly how many employees will decide to strike.” ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-02/german-air-traffic-controllers-plan-strike.html