Union, Lufthansa Attempt To Avert Strikes

The UFO cabin crew union at Lufthansa is working with the airline's management to find a way to ease tensions and avoid the strikes that the union has threatened for the end of this week.

UFO on Monday called for a fresh round of strikes for Thursday and Friday, and continuing on Monday, if Lufthansa did not show more willingness to deal directly with the union in a long-running and increasingly bitter row over early retirement and pensions.

"We are trying to defuse the situation with Lufthansa management in order to possibly call off the strikes," union head Nicoley Baublies said in a statement, adding that more information would be made available on Wednesday.

The cabin crew union staged a week-long strike, the longest in the carrier's history, earlier this month, resulting in the cancellation of about 4,700 flights.

On the final day of the strike, UFO said Lufthansa must change the way it deals with its staff.

Lufthansa, trying to cut costs to better compete with low-cost rivals in Europe and Gulf carriers on long-haul routes, has also seen a series of costly walkouts by its pilots over the last 18 months.

Last week, in a bid to improve relations, Lufthansa invited UFO and two other unions representing pilots and ground staff to a round-table discussion to be held on December 2 to discuss jobs and pension issues that have caused tension.

In a letter to management in response, the cabin crew union complained that Lufthansa management was communicating via the press, rather than with the union directly, and that Lufthansa had determined the time and topics for the round-table without discussing it with the other parties.