Following the ground crew’s warning strike with more than 1,000 flights canceled, AUA parent Lufthansa returned to normal operations on Thursday. At the Frankfurt hub, there were only a few flight cancellations in the morning.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Lufthansa canceled more than 1,000 flights with 134,000 affected passengers at the Munich and Frankfurt hubs. 19 Austrian Airlines flights were also affected. The Verdi union had called up some 20,000 ground workers for a warning strike to pressure salary negotiations. The company has labeled the strike, which was called after two rounds of negotiations, as disproportionate.
It is currently busy days at the airports as Baden-Württemberg has started the summer holidays and Bavaria follows on the weekend. Verdi rules out further union action for the next round of negotiations next week.
The pilots are on strike
Shortly after the strike by Lufthansa ground staff on Wednesday, the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) also set course for a labor dispute. The vote ends on Sunday, VC collective labor agreement board member Marcel Gröls told “Der Spiegel” magazine on Thursday. “If the majority of pilots are in favor of it, that does not mean that there will be a strike immediately. But it is a warning sign. And: we are not bluffing.” If the airline’s management doesn’t make a good offer in the wage negotiations that have been going on for months, the airline’s flight crew will have no choice but to go on strike. “We’re ready to talk. But our patience is limited.”
According to Göls, VC is demanding 5.5 percent more salary for 2022 and automatic inflation compensation after that. In addition, the pilots are pushing for a uniform tariff structure. Instead of reducing complexity through fewer flight operations, which Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr was aiming for before the Corona crisis, two new ones were established. “We claim: only to circumvent collective agreements.” Top management artificially segregates the team rather than creating a strong, unified organization. “The goal should be to set the benchmark for the best pay and to introduce other groups of employees,” said Gröls.
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.
