Lufthansa agrees pay deal with 30,000 ground staff

German airline Lufthansa has agreed a pay deal with 30,000 ground staff as it looks to avoid further strikes.

The agreement, struck with services sector union Verdi on Saturday, gives a one-off payment of €2,250 (£1,580) and a 2.2% pay rise.

The deal covers Lufthansa airport staff as well as catering, IT, freight and maintenance workers.

Lufthansa was hit by the longest strike in its history earlier this month, affecting over 500,000 passengers.

Dr Bettina Volkens, a member of Lufthansa's executive board, said the deal would create "harmony between the bargaining parties".

But Europe's biggest airline is yet to reach an agreement with cabin crew, who called the week-long industrial action in early November, and pilots.

Lufthansa has been in pay and pension disputes with staff as it looks to cut costs to compete with budget airlines and Gulf carriers.

The company will hold a meeting on Wednesday with flight attendants' union UFO, the cockpit pilots' union, and Verdi to tackle the long-running dispute.

No further strikes are currently scheduled, a Lufthansa spokesperson told the BBC.