Air traffic - Pilots at Lufthansa subsidiary Discover on warning strike
One day before Christmas Eve, the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots' union (VC) went on strike at Lufthansa subsidiary Discover Airlines. However, the warning strike, which was limited to five hours, did not have any serious consequences for most passengers on Saturday: The company had knitted an alternative flight schedule following the strike announcement.
The industrial action is about the first collective agreement for pilots at the airline, which was founded just over two years ago and operates from the Lufthansa hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. VC had previously complained about the employer's stalling tactics.
In Frankfurt, some short and medium-haul flights were rescheduled in the morning ahead of the strike period, which also led to earlier return flights from vacation destinations. The flights in Munich were to be handled by the parent company Lufthansa.
Deadlocked negotiations
"Due to adjustments to the flight schedule and the rescheduling and delay of individual flights, no Discover Airlines flights had to be canceled due to the strike," Discover announced after the warning strike. The airline apologized to affected passengers. It is working hard to rebook individual guests and to get all affected passengers to their Christmas vacation or home on time.
According to the union, the reason for the warning strike was the deadlocked negotiations over the first collective agreement for the airline. According to the VC, employers and the union had been well on the way to reaching at least a partial agreement. However, the employers had "used stalling tactics until the end by pulling concessions off the table again and at the same time demanding new conditions for collective bargaining", criticized the VC. Secure framework conditions are needed for cockpit staff.
The company, on the other hand, had reported that "very good progress had been made in the talks". They were on the home stretch to concluding a collective agreement. "Partial agreements have already been reached and there is a clear intention to continue negotiations in January and reach a conclusion quickly," said a spokesperson. Solutions can only be found at the negotiating table and joint talks are ready to continue at any time.
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- The pilots' union Cockpit Association, or VC, is part of the pilots' union at Lufthansa's subsidiary, Discover Airlines, operating in Germany.
- The strike in Frankfurt and Munich airports disrupted some flights, but alternative arrangements were made to minimize the impact on passengers.
- This warning strike was announced ahead of "saint's eve," a term often used for Christmas Eve in German-speaking regions, including Bavaria.
- Lufthansa, the parent company, took over some of the affected flights in Munich during the strike to ensure the smooth operation of their services.
- The Tariffs for the pilots' collective agreement at Discover Airlines were the main cause of the dispute between the union and the employer.
- The pilot union criticized the employer's stalling tactics, accusing them of withdrawing concessions and presenting new demands just hours before the strike.
- The employer, however, claimed progress in negotiations and expressed optimism that a collective agreement would be reached by January, emphasizing the importance of reaching solutions through joint discussions.
Source: www.stern.de
