Lufthansa Union Suspends Pilot Strikes

November 25, 2016

Lufthansa’s pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit has called a halt for now to the series of strikes that has crippled the airline.

The VC union on Friday rejected an increased pay offer from Lufthansa but suspended further industrial action beyond Saturday’s long-haul strike.

Lufthansa offered a 4.4 percent pay increase in two stages and to make a one-off payment in an attempt to kick-start negotiations and end the strikes.

The airline also offered to employ 1000 new pilots over the next five years.

VC turned down the offer saying it “corresponds in full to a proposal made to employees in an open letter more than two months ago.” It also said Lufthansa wanted to make “structural cost reductions in the overall system… [it] is not an attempt to get results, but a PR move.”

Over the four days of strikes, 2,755 flights have been cancelled, with 345,000 passengers affected, Lufthansa said.

A further 137 flights have been cancelled on Saturday, 88 of them intercontinental flights.

Lufthansa said that Sunday’s flights should operate normally, but there may be a few cancellations as it recovers from the strike’s effects.

The strike affects only Lufthansa flights. Other Lufthansa group airlines - Lufthansa CityLine, Germanwings, Eurowings, Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and Brussels Airlines - are not affected.

(Airwise)