There was not a soul today, Sunday at the Munich airport, as the workers already started today the strike that has been announced in the transport sector for tomorrow, Monday, demanding an increase in wages. Dozens of travelers were stunned when they entered the airport to find it completely empty of employees.

A top trade union official in Germany has justified the mass strike as a “matter of survival” for many thousands of people fighting for higher wages as inflation soars, according to an interview published in Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

According to Reuters, the strike, Germany’s biggest in decades, is expected to cause widespread disruption at railways and airports Europe’s largest economy. It has already started at Munich airport, where the departures board shows multiple flight cancellations. With most travelers already informed of the strike, the airport in southern Germany was almost empty, apart from a class of passengers who had missed their connecting flight and were waiting for a bus, and a few other passengers who missed the news.

Airport

The strikes, which are scheduled to start mainly shortly after midnight and affect services throughout Monday, will be the latest in months of strikes and protests that have hit major European economies as higher prices of food and energy dent living standards.

Airport

The German trade union Verdi bargains on behalf of around 2.5 million workers in the public sector, including public transport and airports. The rail and transport union EVG is negotiating for around 230,000 workers at Deutsche Bahn and bus companies.

Airport

Verdi is asking for a 10.5% pay rise, meaning wages will increase by at least €500 a month, while EVG is asking for a 12% increase or at least €650 more a month.