German air traffic controllers call off planned Thursday strike amid court battle

German air traffic controllers call off planned Thursday strike amid court battle

Associated Press
August 3, 2011

BERLIN - A union representing Germany's air traffic controllers on Wednesday called off a planned strike amid a court battle with employers over the threatened walkout at the height of the summer vacation season.

The GdF union had called on its members to walk out between 6 a.m. and noon (0400-1000 GMT) on Thursday.

But the Frankfurt labor court accepted the national air traffic authority's request to issue an injunction blocking the strike, news agency dapd reported. It found that some of the union's demands weren't legally admissible.

GdF appealed the ruling to a higher court, which planned to consider the case later Wednesday night.

Given the late timing, the union decided to call off Thursday's walkout anyway because it didn't want to leave passengers and airlines uncertain about whether flights would be able to go ahead, spokesman Matthias Maas said.

GdF has been seeking a one-year wage deal with a 6.5 percent pay increase and changes to the organizational structure. It has rejected the air traffic authority's offer of a lower raise over a longer period.

Germany's air traffic control authority has nearly 6,000 employees.

Some airlines already decided to move a few early-morning Thursday flights forward slightly as courts considered the dispute.

Are they gov't employees, Bubbles?

Over here, gov't employees are forbidden to strike by law. Our ATC found out the hard way back in 1981.

TexasBlue wrote:Are they gov't employees, Bubbles?

Over here, gov't employees are forbidden to strike by law. Our ATC found out the hard way back in 1981.

Damn skippy! Reagan fired every single one of them! Canned their asses and sent them packing! I loved it!

My friend Mike down in Texas benefited from that, too. He had just gotten out of the Air Force (he was an ATC in there) and got a job at DFW. He said under normal circumstances, hat wouldn't have happened.

TexasBlue wrote:My friend Mike down in Texas benefited from that, too. He had just gotten out of the Air Force (he was an ATC in there) and got a job at DFW. He said under normal circumstances, hat wouldn't have happened.

Yep! He was right. Good for him getting that job though.

All government unions should be disbanded, without exception.

No Bubbles either. Hmmmm.

Yeah, I'd like to get his perspective on this issue - what this being German air traffic controllers and all.

Sorry guys, I'm really short on time. I really don't know who pays air traffic controllers. I'll look into it and respond to the other posts as well when I have more time.

I just read that Germany's aviation agency is called the DFS, which employes the ATC there.

Another nugget? They make between 72,000 and 130,000 Euros ($105,000 and $190,000). And that ain't enough? It's between $90,000 and $160,000 here in the US.

Your point? Are you saying those people make too much?

BubbleBliss wrote:
Your point? Are you saying those people make too much?

Not really. They make good money. Yet they want more. Sounds like NFL payers.

Something I've observed is that when it's a private sector employee pulling down the dough and asking for more they are quickly labeled "greedy."

But when it's a government employee or government employee union squeezing taxpayers for ever higher salaries and benefits, nary a peep from the left about "greed."

Just sayin.

Good point.

dblboggie wrote:Something I've observed is that when it's a private sector employee pulling down the dough and asking for more they are quickly labeled "greedy."

But when it's a government employee or government employee union squeezing taxpayers for ever higher salaries and benefits, nary a peep from the left about "greed."

Just sayin.

Examples? I find it hard to believe that anyone would call a factory worker greedy if he asked for more money.