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BERLIN/FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - After a strike-ridden spring, the risk of further work stoppages in air traffic has been significantly reduced. Since Monday, an arbitration recommendation has been in place for the approximately 25,000 air security controllers, which is supported by employers and unions. It is still subject to the approval of the respective committees, for which the Verdi union has set a deadline of Tuesday afternoon. Acceptance is considered likely.

On Monday night, after three days of negotiations, the former Bremen State Councillor for Finance, Hans-Henning Lühr (SPD), either excluded the different positions or reconciled them. The arbitration committee, made up of all parties to the collective agreement, unanimously agreed to the proposal. In addition to Verdi, the "dbb Beamtenbund und Tarifunion" also participated on the employee side.

The arbitrator's decision provides for salary increases for employees in three stages of between 13.1 and 15.1 percent over a period of 15 months, as reported by the employers' association BDLS. The collective agreement is set to run until the end of March 2025. The workers are employed by private service providers who check passengers, freight and staff at airports outside Bavaria.

Hourly wages will increase by between 1.85 and 2.90 euros, depending on the occupational group, according to the collective bargaining partners. Verdi had demanded an increase of 2.80 euros for a period of 12 months. From January 1, 2025, employees at passenger checkpoints will receive a basic hourly wage of 23.30 euros, while employees at general access control points to the airport site will receive a disproportionate increase to 22.39 euros per hour.

Surprisingly, the particularly contentious issue of overtime bonuses was excluded. According to participants, arbitrator Lühr did not feel able to reconcile the widely divergent ideas. New negotiations are now to take place at the end of the year. Verdi had criticized the fact that under the current rules, only the employers benefited from the flexibility reserves. The regulations will now continue to apply for the time being.

According to Verdi, arbitrator Lühr referred to proceedings at the Federal Labor Court, in which a decisive question is expected to be clarified at a high court in September. The case concerns the draw limit for overtime bonuses, which in the current case at Lufthansa Cityline has not been reduced proportionately for part-time employees. The European Court of Justice considers this to be a discriminatory disadvantage for part-time employees if they only receive bonuses from the limit applicable to full-time employees.

According to figures from the airport association ADV, the waves of warning strikes in aviation security have affected around half a million passengers. Alternating with strikes and warning strikes at Lufthansa, a large number of flights were canceled in the spring. ADV Managing Director Ralph Beisel welcomed the successful arbitration with relief. He said: "Although the airport operators are not party to the collective agreement, they were indirectly affected by the rampant warning strikes. Now travelers can book their flights again with peace of mind. At least the risk of strikes at aviation security checkpoints has been averted."

Verdi had already accepted the arbitrator's decision of the Thuringian Minister President Bodo Ramelow and the former head of the employment agency Frank-Jürgen Weise for Lufthansa ground staff before Easter. Lufthansa's negotiations with the Ufo union for cabin crew, who have also already gone on strike, are still open. The talks were postponed to this week last Friday after constructive progress./ceb/DP/nas