Lufthansa ground staff to strike on Tuesday

Ground staff for Lufthansa airlines set to strike at major German airports on Tuesday, likely causing significant flight disruption and cancellations.

The Verdi union said in a statement that Lufthansa employees will stop work from 4:00 a.m. local time (0300GMT) to 7:10 a.m. (0610GMT) on Wednesday at seven airports, including the country's busiest hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.

The strike action will also take place in Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, and Stuttgart airports, affecting over 100,000 passengers.

Lufthansa said the strike will force the cancellation of at least 80% planned flights on Tuesday, and advised passengers to check the status of their flight before traveling to the airport.

"We currently assume that around 10 to 20 percent of the flight program will be possible on Tuesday. Please only travel to the airport if your flight has not been canceled. Due to the strike, the rebooking desks are unfortunately not staffed," the German flag carrier said in a statement.

The Verdi union has criticized Lufthansa for failing to come up with an acceptable offer during the third round of negotiations last week, and said the strike aims to raise pressure on the management.

In the ongoing collective bargaining dispute, the Verdi union is demanding a 12.5% rise and no less than €500 ($540) monthly wage hike for around 25,000 ground personnel, and a one-time €3,000 ($3,250) bonus to offset a cost-of-living crisis.