Lufthansa passengers again have to reckon with pilot strikes. The union “Vereinigung Cockpit” (VC) announced a full-day union action late Wednesday evening for next Friday. The board of directors has decided this after intensive negotiations with the company and at the request of the collective labor agreement, according to a spokesperson.
The official reason is the failed negotiations on a new collective labor agreement from a trade union perspective. A subsequent round of exploratory talks behind closed doors and an improved offer from the company last week also failed. Most recently, a final attempt at negotiations this Wednesday was unsuccessful. The “Vereinigung Cockpit” (VC) says it wants salary increases of 5.5 percent in the current year and automatic inflation compensation from next year.
Established flight operations with lower fare conditions
In the background there is also a conflict about the future business strategy. In the past, VC had guaranteed the exact number of 325 aircraft, which could only be flown by the approximately 5,000 captains and first officers covered by the collective collective agreement. Impressed by the Corona crisis, Lufthansa had canceled the corresponding agreement and set up a new flight operation (AOC) with lower fare conditions under the crane logo.
The new airline, known internally as “Cityline 2”, will take over many of the previous core company’s flights in European traffic.
More than 93 percent voted in favor of the strike
According to VC, 97.6 percent voted in favor of the labor dispute in the Lufthansa passage and 99.3 percent in the smaller Lufthansa Cargo. According to the union, participation in both flight operations was over 93 percent. Consent of more than 70 percent of all eligible voters was required. All Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo departures from Germany must be halted, as VC has announced. “In order to take advantage of labor disputes, Lufthansa has to make a significantly improved offer,” explains VC tariff boss Marcel Gröls.
The pilots’ union has also prepared for a strike at the largest Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings with about 100 aircraft. According to the votes counted on Wednesday, 97.9 percent voted in favor of a possible labor dispute.
However, there is still a negotiation date in the coming week, so no specific strike date was initially given for Eurowings.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
