Business travellers flying through Germany’s airports received rare labour-relations certainty this week. On 11 November 2026 the services union Ver.di and the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS) announced a new collective agreement covering roughly 25,000 private security agents who run passenger and baggage screening at more than 20 commercial airports, including Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf and Berlin-Brandenburg (BER). The deal, reported by Tagesschau, foresees two staged wage hikes – 3.8 % in 2027 and 3.3 % in 2028 – and, crucially, a binding industrial-peace clause that rules out strikes for the entire contract term through 31 December 2028. Background: Germany’s aviation security staff staged a record 14 strike days in 2025-2026, forcing airports to close checkpoints and airlines to cancel thousands of flights. Ver.di entered the 2026 bargaining round demanding inflation compensation and higher allowances for unsocial hours. Employers argued rising labour costs threatened their ability to bid for airport security tenders. The compromise index-links basic pay to public-sector wage growth and introduces a joint working group on automation, giving employers flexibility while assuring workers a real-terms pay rise. Practical implications: The agreement removes one of the biggest operational uncertainties for airlines, handlers and corporate travel managers planning meetings and incentives into Germany. With passenger volumes projected to reach 95 % of 2019 levels next summer, airports had feared renewed stoppages would snarl queues and undermine on-time performance. Instead, resources can be channelled into staff recruitment for the EU Entry/Exit System rehearsals due in 2027. What companies should do: • Update travel risk matrices – checkpoint strike probability drops to “very low” for the next two years. • Review SLAs with German security providers; some cost savings may be possible because overtime premiums have been capped. • Continue to budget extra dwell time at peak hours as staffing shortages, not strikes, remain a constraint. Larger context: The long-term peace contrasts with ongoing labour unrest in rail and local transport and may serve as a blueprint for other sectors. It also gives Germany a competitive edge over French and UK hubs that still face sporadic security walk-outs.
Source: Tagesschau
