The union Verdi has called airport staff at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to a warning strike on Wednesday, March 18. The airport operator is shutting down all passenger flight operations, affecting about 445 flights and 57,000 passengers. Verdi calls the employers' offer a provocation.
A full-day warning strike by the Verdi union is set for Wednesday, March 18, at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), from 5 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Affected are staff from the airport fire brigade, administration, security, air traffic control, and cleaning services. The Berlin-Brandenburg Airport Company (FBB) announced that no regular passenger flights will operate that day. Originally planned were 445 departures and landings with about 57,000 passengers; one source specifies March 18, 2026 – a possible discrepancy in reports. Verdi demands six percent pay raises or at least 250 euros monthly for the around 2,000 employees, plus an extra day off for union members over a 12-month term. Negotiator Holger Rößler called the employers' offer of about one percent annual increases until end of 2028 'no serious offer, but a provocation at the negotiating table.' FBB CEO Aletta von Massenbach deemed the strike 'disproportionate – especially in a situation already tense due to the Iran war.' The next round of talks is scheduled for March 25. Passengers should check with airlines for rebookings and alternatives. In case of cancellations, they are entitled to ticket refunds, alternative transport, or return conveyance, but usually no compensation, as it involves a ground staff strike, according to passenger rights portal Flightright.
