- Disaster strikes Discover, resulting in multiple solo malfunctions
On the inaugural day of the strike by pilots and cabin crew at Discover Airlines, a Lufthansa subsidiary, there were occasional flight cancellations. The majority of the around 55 flights scheduled for Tuesday were successfully carried out, as the company declared. Only a handful of flights needed to be scrapped, a spokesperson confirmed.
The Fraport airport operator's site showed six cancellations on Tuesday, among them services to Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, and Mykonos.
Discover Airlines aims to minimize the strike's impact. Some short-haul flights on Tuesday were taken over by partner airlines, thereby maintaining the passengers' travel plans unaffected. "In the upcoming days, our primary focus remains to operate as many flights as possible for our passengers." Passengers are advised to frequently check their flight status and provide their contact information during booking.
Established in 2021, Discover Airlines boasts 27 aircraft serving holiday destinations in Europe and beyond. Close to 1,900 individuals are employed in these operations.
No resolution between unions and company
The flight attendants' union UFO anticipates Lufthansa to counteract the strike's effects by assigning flights to other subsidiaries. Nevertheless, UFO suspects the strike's impact might intensify in the coming days. Approximately 100 individuals joined a demonstration at Frankfurt Airport, according to UFO's reports. The airlines have not presented any fresh proposals in the collective bargaining dispute, as highlighted by Harry Jaeger, UFO's collective bargaining strategy head.
The root cause of this labor dispute is a clash with the Verdi union, which has achieved initial collective agreements for pilots and flight attendants at the fledgling airline. Additionally, the Verdi agreement includes provisions for wage hikes (ranging from 16 to 38%) for both professions by 2027, along with rules on allowances, work hours, employer-sponsored retirement plans, or help in the event of loss of flying license.
The objectives of UFO and VC barely vary from the Verdi agreement. However, the industry unions insist on implementing their own collective agreements. They argue that Verdi lacks sufficient representation in the aviation sector. For unions VC and UFO, this is also about securing influence within the Lufthansa parent company, where they have a strong foothold in collective agreements. A wave of strikes at Discover occurred in the winter.
The Cockpit association, representing Discover Airlines' pilots, stands in solidarity with the striking cabin crew. Despite this, the Cockpit association is working diligently with the company to ensure minimal disruptions to flights, promoting cooperation to maintain flight operations.
