Flight cancellations at Hamburg Airport after a surprise strike by workers affected more than 40,000 passengers on Sunday, a day before a planned wider protest across Germany amid new contract negotiations.

The airport in Germany’s second largest city said the one-day strike, called over pay and conditions, began earlier than expected “without any notice.”

A German trade union had called for strikes at 13 major German airports to take place on Monday - but then staged the strike at Hamburg airport on Sunday. View on euronews

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.

Germany's Verdi union has brought forward the planned warning strike at Hamburg airport by one day, largely paralysing air traffic on Sunday.

All flights to and from Hamburg Airport have been cancelled in response to a pay strike after services trade union verdi brought the action forward by a day without prior notice, an airport spokeswoman announced on Sunday.