German flights hit by public sector strike

Hundreds of flights were cancelled today as workers at several German airports joined other public employees staging short-term strikes in a row over pay.

The ver.di union wants a 6.5% increase this year for two million federal and municipal government employees. It has rejected a 3.3% increase over two years.

It is staging warning strikes to increase pressure ahead of the next round of pay talks, which begin tomorrow.

Airline Lufthansa said today that it had cancelled more than 400 flights at Frankfurt Airport alone.

Other airports affected include Munich, Duesseldorf, Cologne-Bonn and Stuttgart.

Also on strike in scattered areas around the country were bus and tram drivers, kindergarten teachers and rubbish collectors, among others.