FRANKFURT - Nearly 300 flights were cancelled at Hamburg airport on Sunday as ground handlers walked out ahead of wider strikes planned across Germany on Monday.

German trade union Verdi had not given notice of the move, and airport workers walked out after 10 flights had gone through in the morning, Hamburg Airport said in a statement.

The action led to the cancellation of 144 arrivals and 139 departures, affecting more than 40,000 passengers, it said.

Verdi, which represents airport ground handling staff and public sector workers, said strike action would continue on Monday, and would also impact passenger security checks.

The action would severely disrupt plans for families trying to travel during local spring holidays, the airport said.

The union is demanding an 8 percent wage hike, or an increase of at least 350 euros ($380) per month, as well as higher bonuses and additional time off. Employers have rejected the demands as unaffordable. Verdi is escalating action after staging several walk-outs last month.

"Two rounds of strikes between talks already. That is clearly excessive and unfair to tens of thousands of travellers who have nothing to do with the disputes," said a spokesperson for Hamburg airport.

A spokesperson for Verdi in Hamburg, asked about the surprise move, said that the union had taken the last-minute action to ensure it had maximum impact.

"We do this to put pressure on the employer so that finally a reasonable offer comes to the table in the negotiations," the spokesperson said. "We can only make the strikes effective by calling for short-term action at the weekend."

Other airports to be affected on Monday include Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne/Bonn, Duesseldorf, Dortmund, Hanover, Bremen, Berlin and Leipzig-Halle.

Reuters