Dozens of flights canceled in German strikes
Dozens of flights canceled because of strikes at Duesseldorf, Cologne airports in Germany
BERLIN (AP) -- Dozens of flights have been cancelled after hundreds of security personnel walked off the job at Germany's Duesseldorf and Cologne airports in a strike over wages.
About 400 people staged took part in the warning strike Thursday at the two airports, dpa news agency reported. They planned to walk off the job again on Friday.
About 100 flights were cancelled at Duesseldorf airport, Germany's third-busiest, and more than 20 more were grounded at Cologne.
The ver.di union says 70 to 80 percent of security employees at the airports are in the lowest wage group, earning just more than €8 ($10.50) an hour. It's calling for the airports to increase that to €16.
So-called warning strikes are used regularly as a tactic to increase pressure in German wage negotiations.
