- Airline Personnel Prolong Industrial Action Against Cargo Carriers
The pilot association, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), is expanding its work stoppage at leisure airline Lufthansa's Discover for a third consecutive day. As per the announcement made in Frankfurt on Thursday, pilots managing cargo flights for Lufthansa Cityline will also participate in the strike from 6:00 PM to midnight. The strike is a display of solidarity, VC mentioned.
Three Airbus A321 cargo planes are experiencing disruptions due to this strike. VC outlines that there are planned rotations totalling eight flights during the strike duration, but it remains uncertain if these flights will be called off as Lufthansa might utilize management pilots as replacements.
At Discover, the ongoing strike is leading to sporadic cancellations on the third day. As per the airline, another long-haul flight as well as some European connections had to be cancelled. However, three short-haul flights were again handled by partner airlines.
Criticism Surrounding the Strike
The unions UFO and VC, present within the Lufthansa group, are strategically utilizing this four-day strike to demand their own collective bargaining arrangements. This follows a deal struck between the management and rival union Verdi. UFO and VC contend that Verdi only represents a limited portion of pilots and flight attendants within the company. Established in 2021, Discover Airlines operates 27 aircraft, catering to holiday destinations in Europe and beyond, with an estimated 1,900 employees.
The ongoing strike by Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has resulted in the grounding of three Airbus A321 cargo planes. Despite planned rotations for eight flights during the strike duration, it's uncertain if they will proceed due to potential manager pilots being used as replacements by Lufthansa.
The expanded work stoppage at Lufthansa's Discover is causing disruptions, leading to sporadic cancellations of flights, including a long-haul flight and some European connections.
