Regarding strikes, Dong Qiangqiang only knew that there were high-profile strikes such as the Anyuan Road Miners' Strike and the Provincial and Port Strikes before the founding of the People's Republic of China. He had never heard of such strikes since the founding of the People's Republic of China. He also encountered strikes on the railway system after coming to Germany, but I have never experienced an airport strike before.
Since the computers in the computer room of the library were not equipped with sound cards (nor were they integrated), he could not listen to the online news, so he had to rush to the Turkish kebab restaurant closest to the university. He was depressed that the Germans had not gone on strike earlier in the day and would not go on strike later. This happened when he was in a hurry to get home.
The consumer group of the barbecue restaurant is mainly college students. Because it is still winter vacation, there is not a single customer in the store. It is extremely quiet. There is only one young waiter on the bar. He is lazily holding his cheek with his hands and staring boredly at the TV above his head. match.
Dong Qiangqiang felt hungry after being on the phone for a long time and traveling all the way. He ordered his favorite set meal with a large amount of barbecue, successfully commandeered the remote control from the waiter, and switched directly to the news channel.
The guy pointed at the TV and talked a lot, but Dong Qiangqiang didn't understand and didn't care. The waiter shrugged and ducked into the kitchen muttering.
It was almost 21 o'clock. On the TV, the usually bustling and noisy departure hall became very deserted. All the check-in counters of all airlines were closed. The large screens at the airport displaying flight information could not see the flights that people were looking forward to in the past. Information is only a lonely black color that makes people speechless.
Although the airport and airlines claimed to have warned passengers that flights were cancelled, some passengers still found that their travel was blocked after arriving at the airport. They were either confused, complained, or helplessly looked for service staff in the lobby, only to find their target. Wearing reflective vests and holding placards high, they were roaming the halls in protest.
The hall was filled with guns and cannons of different colors, and reporters’ microphones and cameras were eager to shine them in the faces of the strikers. Through on-site questions and answers, Dong Qiangqiang learned that this year’s first strike organized by the German Service Industry Union The strike, which involves eight German airports, is a continuation and escalation of warning strikes at airports last year. So far, the strike has caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights. Among them, Frankfurt Airport, Munich Airport, Hannover Airport, and Berlin Airport have been severely affected. The strikers estimate that at least 200,000 people at the eight airports will be affected, and the main victims of the strike The purpose is to require employers to increase workers' wages, increase holidays and improve working conditions.
The trade union representative stood at the forefront of the strike team. When being interviewed, he was so emotional that he spoke very fast. Dong Qiangqiang could only swallow his words to understand the gist. He first said that improving wages was a matter of survival for thousands of workers. Then he changed the topic and said that the negotiations with the employer were extremely tiring and hard. After the negotiation, the other party did not give him a clear answer, so he was not sure about the outcome of the negotiations. There are no optimistic expectations. If an agreement cannot be reached in this labor-management negotiation, it is not ruled out that the following Easter holiday will also be affected.
The reporter randomly interviewed other strikers at the scene. A middle-aged man with gray hair said that this is the second year that the euro has been officially launched in Germany. As a worker, he feels that many products in supermarkets are too expensive. Milk that used to cost 2 marks per liter has been directly changed to 2 euros. One liter. Similar situations abound. He couldn't tell whether this was inflation, but the reason he participated in the strike was that his real income had been declining for a long time. He has two children. As a man, he must support his family, so He is eager to improve his current treatment. His wife drives a bus. There were several strikes in the public transportation industry last year, and she successfully received a salary increase. He also hopes to replicate his wife's success.
After interviewing the strikers, the reporter was originally going to interview the management, but was told that he had "no comment" and had to turn around and interview the tourists. One traveler complained that the strike was a nightmare. He wanted to return home but was forced to stay in Germany. Although he sympathized with the strikers, he did not want to be a victim of the strike. He believed that the strike passed on the pain to consumers. The consumer is innocent, he is confused and angry.
The scene cut back to the studio. The host asked a guest expert what he thought of the strike. The expert said with disdain that the strikers' demands were excessive and without any basis. If the salary increase is really successful, in the end it will be It will be passed on to consumers, benefiting no one and fueling inflation, so he is personally not optimistic that the strike can be successfully negotiated.
By the time the steaming barbecue meal arrived, news coverage of the strike had been replaced by gossip about German sports stars.
Dong Qiangqiang walked to the window with the plate, and while mixing the barbecue, side dishes and rice, he looked thoughtfully at the dusk outside the window: Since the German airport is out of order, can we fly from Paris? Thinking of this, he didn't care whether Qin Youbo was working or resting, and dialed her directly.
Qin Youbo answered the phone quickly, but her answer made his heart cold faster than the barbecue on the plate: Many airports in France started going on intermittent strikes a week ago, and some airports have not resumed work until now. Although it claims to have resumed work, its work efficiency cannot be compared with before the strike. At the same time, this airport strike is not limited to Germany and France. Staff at many European airports have recently held strikes to varying degrees due to salary and holiday issues. It was supposed to be a massive tandem strike. The media agreed that if the negotiating parties cannot reach an agreement, strikes and flight delays may continue into the summer. Finally, she reminded Dong Qiangqiang that if he insisted on returning to China, he had better understand it clearly before placing an order to avoid wasting money and time.
Dong Qiangqiang finished his meal quickly, returned to the computer room, wrote down the customer service numbers of airports in several countries around Germany, and then called them one by one until the library closed. None of them could fly to the country.
He walked aimlessly on the corridor, flipping through the phone book, wondering who could help him.
His eyes fell on the word "Sun Tao". He was from the consulate, and he must have a way. However, he didn't have a deep friendship with the other party. Last time, there was a bit of a quarrel because of the beating. At this time, even if He can humble himself and ask for help, but the other party may not be able to help him.
One by one, names were fished out of the sea with great expectations, only to be thrown back with disappointment.
He racked his brains and thought, and walked to the psychology department building without knowing it. The huge bronze figure standing in front of the building looked silently at the young man with a sad face in front of him, with seemingly infinite love and regret in his eyes.
Dong Qiangqiang finally called Duanmu over.
"Hey, Duanmu, I want to go back to China to see my family as soon as possible, but now the airports in Germany and several neighboring countries are closed. What can you do? For example, use your company's relationship to fly to the United States first, and then fly back to China from the United States. Is it possible?"
"You need a U.S. visa to fly to the United States. Do you have one?" Duanmu introduced seasonedly, "If not, even if you apply for a tourist visa, which is the easiest to get, it will still take 14 working days. This is still fast. of."
Damn it, sir, Dong Qiangqiang cursed in his heart.
"What's wrong with your family?" Duanmu asked with concern, "Do you have to go back now? Have you finished the exam?"
"My dad is sick. I took the exam in March and had almost finished my review, so I wanted to go back and take a look before I came back, but I didn't expect that there was a general strike and I had to memorize it."
"Is your dad okay? I heard that this disease has been very serious recently, not only in China, but also in people I know who went to Southeast Asia and got infected. Is it risky for you to go back now?"
"But I can't help but reply."
"What's that, old Dong, don't think what I said is unpleasant. If we have to go back, that's fine. We have to find a way to go back. But if we don't have to go back, we'd better endure it..."
Dong Qiangqiang raised his head, and the stars in the night sky were blinking at him. A meteor passed quickly over his head, and a thought flashed through his mind.
"What if I ask Lao Maozi for help? Do you think it's reliable? He should be able to help me go back, right?"
"Are you looking for him?" Duanmu asked in shock, "Are you crazy?"
"He must have a private jet." Dong Qiangqiang forced out a forced smile. Of course he knew he was joking. To Sergeila, he was nothing.
Duanmu was speechless for a while, and then said after a while: "I don't know what your dad's situation is now and you have to go back, but if you want to go through Lao Maozi, I advise you not to be impulsive. You are a little... well, emotional now, so be more careful. Think about it.”
Dong Qiangqiang was very depressed. He knew what Duanmu said was right. Even he could tell that he was in a hurry and sought medical treatment. Although the money in his account was more than enough to buy hundreds of round-trip air tickets, when there was a strike at the airport, he couldn't do it at all. Can't leave. Maybe one day he can afford a private jet, and then he might be able to go home whenever he wants.
Finally staying up until 12 o'clock in the middle of the night and 7 o'clock in the morning BJ time, Dong Qiangqiang called his mother again, explaining that he really couldn't go back now, and asked his mother to tell him about Dong's father's condition every day, and that he must go back if necessary. Tell him immediately that no matter if he is asked to find Sun Tao or Sergey La, he can do it.
But what makes Dong Qiangqiang depressed is that Dong's mother seems to be quite happy that he can't go back, and repeatedly advises him to study hard. Dong's father has a good appetite this morning, and she will go to the doctor immediately to ask for clues.
Dong Qiangqiang contacted Lao Bai and Tong Lele respectively. Tong Lele quickly answered the phone and immediately said that she could go to the hospital to help Dong's mother share the burden when she was free. Lao Bai was very slow to answer the phone, and his mouth seemed a little awkward when speaking, and his reaction was relatively slow. Dong Qiangqiang guessed that he might have just been drunk and had a hangover, but his expression was the same as Tong Lele's. Both friends agreed. He felt warm and relieved in Germany.
But if he can't go back, Duanmu's words remind Dong Qiangqiang that no matter what, he should apply for a tourist visa to the United States first to be prepared. Even if he doesn't go to the United States after getting the visa, he will only lose the visa fee.
Dong Qiangqiang did not call Sun Tao, but he did not expect that Sun Tao took the initiative to call Dong Qiangqiang.
"Hey, Dong Qiangqiang? I have something to ask you."
(End of chapter)
