majority for strike
There is a risk of further turbulence in the European aviation industry: At the German AUA parent company Lufthansa, a pilot strike has come a step closer. In a ballot, the voting members of the Cockpit Association (VC) voted in favor of a labor dispute with a very clear majority. A strike is not imminent, but it could happen this summer.
This means that a strike by around 5,000 pilots at the Lufthansa core brand is possible with immediate effect, but this was not initially requested from the Executive Board. Even before the count, the VC tariff expert Marcel Gröls had explained that it was initially a “warning signal” to the Lufthansa board. “Good offers” are now expected from the management.
At the Lufthansa passenger division, 97.6 percent of the participants voted for a strike. At the freight subsidiary Cargo, approval was even higher at 99.3 percent. The union reported on Sunday after counting the votes. According to the union, participation was over 93 percent in both flight operations. Approval from more than 70 percent of all those entitled to vote was required.
Deadlocked wage negotiations
According to insiders, the pilots’ union could be ready for a strike before the end of the holiday season. In previous years, September was also usually a particularly busy month, so that a strike at this time would also have a severe impact on the company.
The reason for the strike preparations of the VC are the deadlocked after six rounds of talks about a new wage agreement. From the point of view of the union, Lufthansa has not yet submitted a negotiable offer. According to its own statements, the VC demands, among other things, salary increases of 5.5 percent in the current year and an automated inflation adjustment from the coming year. She had terminated the previous collective agreement on June 30th.
Dispute over cheaper airline
In the background, there is also a conflict about the future corporate strategy. In the past, VC had had the exact number of 325 aircraft guaranteed, which may only be flown by the approximately 5,000 captains and first officers who are subject to the group collective agreement. Under the impression of the coronavirus crisis, Lufthansa had terminated the corresponding agreement and started to set up a new flight operation (AOC) with lower tariff conditions under the crane logo. The new airline, known internally as “Cityline 2”, is to take over key tasks from the previous core company in European traffic.
Ground crew warning strike on Wednesday
The Cockpit Association saw the result as proof of the strong support for the goals of the group collective bargaining committee. “We now need a modern and fair, internationally competitive remuneration structure in all professional groups,” explained Gröls. The positive ballot does not necessarily lead to strike action. But it is an unmistakable signal to Lufthansa that it takes the needs of the cockpit staff seriously.
It was only on Wednesday that the ver.di trade union almost paralyzed the flight operations of Germany’s largest airline for a whole day with a warning strike by ground staff. More than 1,000 flights were canceled and around 134,000 passengers had to change their travel plans. ver.di had not held a ballot beforehand. Businesses and politicians had criticized the length and scope of the work stoppages. Negotiations are set to resume on Wednesday.