One-day strike at 13 German airports, including main hubs, brings most flights to halt
A one-day strike by workers at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs and all the country's other main destinations, caused the cancelation of most flights on Monday.
The 24-hour walkout, which started at midnight on Sunday, involves public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground and security staff.
At Frankfurt Airport, 1,054 of the day's 1,116 scheduled takeoffs and landings had been canceled, German news agency dpa reported, citing airport traffic management.
All of Berlin Airport's regular departures and arrivals were canceled, while Hamburg Airport said no departures would be possible. Cologne/Bonn Airport said there was no regular passenger service and Munich Airport advised travelers to expect a "greatly reduced flight schedule."
The ver.di service workers union's strike also targeted the Bremen, Hannover, Duesseldorf, Dortmund, Leipzig/Halle and Stuttgart airports. At the smaller Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports, only security workers were called out.
The German airports' association, ADV, estimated that more than 3,500 flights in total would be canceled and about 560,000 passengers affected.
The union announced the strike last Friday. But at Hamburg Airport, it added a short-notice walkout on Sunday to the strike on Monday, arguing that it must ensure the measure was effective.
The so-called "warning strike," a common tactic in German wage negotiations, relates to two separate pay disputes: negotiations on a new pay and conditions contract for airport security workers, and a wider dispute over pay for employees of federal and municipal governments.
The latter already has led to walkouts at Cologne/Bonn, Duesseldorf, Hamburg and Munich airports. Pay talks in that dispute are due to resume on Friday, while the next round of talks for airport security workers is expected to start on March 26.
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Voice of America
10-03-2025
- Voice of America
One-day strike at 13 German airports, including main hubs, brings most flights to halt
A one-day strike by workers at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs and all the country's other main destinations, caused the cancelation of most flights on Monday. The 24-hour walkout, which started at midnight on Sunday, involves public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground and security staff. At Frankfurt Airport, 1,054 of the day's 1,116 scheduled takeoffs and landings had been canceled, German news agency dpa reported, citing airport traffic management. All of Berlin Airport's regular departures and arrivals were canceled, while Hamburg Airport said no departures would be possible. Cologne/Bonn Airport said there was no regular passenger service and Munich Airport advised travelers to expect a "greatly reduced flight schedule." The service workers union's strike also targeted the Bremen, Hannover, Duesseldorf, Dortmund, Leipzig/Halle and Stuttgart airports. At the smaller Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports, only security workers were called out. The German airports' association, ADV, estimated that more than 3,500 flights in total would be canceled and about 560,000 passengers affected. The union announced the strike last Friday. But at Hamburg Airport, it added a short-notice walkout on Sunday to the strike on Monday, arguing that it must ensure the measure was effective. The so-called "warning strike," a common tactic in German wage negotiations, relates to two separate pay disputes: negotiations on a new pay and conditions contract for airport security workers, and a wider dispute over pay for employees of federal and municipal governments. The latter already has led to walkouts at Cologne/Bonn, Duesseldorf, Hamburg and Munich airports. Pay talks in that dispute are due to resume on Friday, while the next round of talks for airport security workers is expected to start on March 26.
Voice of America
05-12-2024
- Voice of America
Vienna Sausage Stand Gets UNESCO Recognition
A popular kind of sausage stand in Vienna, Austria has been recognized by the United Nations for its cultural value. The street stands – called 'Würstelstands' in German – are a famous part of the Austrian capital's history. In addition to selling food, they are known for being a place where many different kinds of people can come together to eat and spend social time. UNESCO is the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to recognize and help save cultural treasures and traditions around the world. Vienna's Würstelstands were recently added to a list of the country's 'intangible cultural heritage.' The Austrian UNESCO Commission oversees the list. Among other things on the list are Vienna's traditional wine establishments – called 'Heurigen' – which were recognized in 2019. In addition, the city's famous coffee house culture was honored in 2011. The Associated Press reports the history of Würstelstands goes back generations. And they are known for much more than the tasty sausages they serve. They have been bringing people of many different backgrounds together for many years. The stands have also developed some of their own terms. These include the 'Haasse,' a special kind of boiled sausage. Another unusual stand offering is known as the 'Käsekrainer' – a smoked creation filled with cheese. And there is 'Oaschpfeiferl,' a spicy peperoni version, as well as the pickled 'Krokodü.' Josef Bitzinger runs the Bitzinger Würstelstand. He told the AP that sausage stands have a long history in Vienna." His stand enjoys a favorable spot, next to the city's Albertina museum and just behind the Vienna State Opera. 'Originally it was just a bucket with hot water in which the sausages used to swim," Bitzinger said. He added that the stands began with small vehicles pulled by dogs or horses. Later, they were transported by cars or big trucks. The tradition of Würstelstand goes back to the pre-World War I days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At that time, former soldiers set up movable cooking shops to make a living. The city's longest-serving stand in a fixed spot is Würstelstand Leo. It has been serving up sausages since 1928. The stands started to develop quickly in 1969, when the government decided to begin approving fixed stands. Vienna's mayor, Michael Ludwig, said he thinks the UNESCO recognition 'honors the tradition, the hospitality and the diversity of our city.' He added that the stands remain a big part of the city's culture. Bitzinger said he and other owners had long campaigned for the UNESCO recognition. 'The special thing about it is that it's a form of gastronomy everybody can afford." Bitzinger added, "Here the general director and, during the opera ball, a celebrity stands next to a worker and the street sweeper who just finished cleaning the street. That unites people.' I'm Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. _____________________________________________ Words in This Story intangible – adj. a quality that exists but is difficult to describe or prove pickled – adj. a process by which food is put into vinegar or salt water and stored for a long time heritage – n. the buildings, paintings, customers, etc. that have existed for a long time and are important in a culture or society original – adj. existing since the beginning hospitality – n. the foods, drinks and entertainment provided by or organization or business diversity – n. the fact that there are many different kinds of things or people included in something gastronomy – n. the art and knowledge used in preparing and eating good food afford – v. able to pay for something celebrity – n. a famous person
Voice of America
27-10-2024
- Voice of America
Rare Sahara floods bring Morocco's dried-up south back to life
In Morocco's southeastern desert, a rare downpour has brought lakes and ponds back to life, with locals — and tourists — hailing it as a gift from the heavens. In Merzouga, a tourist town about 600 kilometers southeast of the capital, Rabat, the once-parched golden dunes are now dotted with replenished ponds and lakes. "We're incredibly happy about the recent rains," said Youssef Ait Chiga, a local tour guide leading a group of German tourists to Yasmina Lake nestled amid Merzouga's dunes. Khalid Skandouli, another tour guide, said the rain has drawn even more visitors to the tourist area, now particularly eager to witness this odd transformation. With him, Laetitia Chevallier, a French tourist and regular visitor to the region, said the rainfall has proved a "blessing from the sky." "The desert became green again, the animals have food again, and the plants and palm trees came back to life," she said. Locals told AFP the basin had been barren for nearly 20 years. But this September, torrential rains triggered floods in southern parts of Morocco, killing at least 28 people, according to authorities. The rare heavy rains come as the North African kingdom grapples with its worst drought in nearly 40 years, threatening its economically crucial agriculture sector. Last year was Morocco's driest in 80 years, with a 48% drop in rainfall, according to an October report from the General Directorate of Meteorology. Neighboring Algeria saw similar rain and flooding in early September, killing six people. North African countries currently rank among the world's most water-stressed, according to the World Resources Institute, a nonprofit research organization. The kingdom's meteorological agency described the recent massive rainfall as exceptional. It attributed it to an unusual shift of the intertropical convergence zone, the equatorial region where winds from the northern and southern hemispheres meet, causing thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. "Everything suggests that this is a sign of climate change," Fatima Driouech, a Moroccan climate scientist, told AFP. "But it's too early to say definitively without thorough studies." Experts say climate change is making extreme weather events, such as storms and droughts, more frequent and intense. In Morocco's south, the rains have helped partially fill some reservoirs and replenish groundwater aquifers. But for those levels to significantly rise, experts say the rains would need to continue over a longer period of time. The rest of the country is still grappling with drought, now in its sixth year and jeopardizing the agricultural sector that employs more than a third of Morocco's workforce. Jean Marc Berhocoirigoin, a 68-year-old French tourist, said he was surprised to find Yasmina Lake replenished. "I felt like a kid on Christmas morning," he said. "I hadn't seen these views for 15 years." Water has also returned to other desert areas such as Erg Znaigui, about 40 kilometers south of Merzouga, AFP reporters saw. Last week, Morocco's meteorological agency said such downpours could become increasingly frequent, "driven partly by climate change as the intertropical convergence zone shifts further north."
