Trade unions call for Lufthansa to join Ita
With a joint appeal, several air transport unions want to speed up Lufthansa's entry into the Italian state airline Ita. They are calling on the European Commission to approve and support the merger as soon as possible. The development is the right way forward for Ita and comes at the right time to secure jobs and working conditions for staff.
The declaration published on Thursday is supported by three German and three Italian trade unions as well as three employee organizations from Austria and Switzerland.
The Lufthansa Group and the Italian state have been struggling for months to obtain approval for the deal from the EU Commission under competition law. The MDax group initially wants to acquire 41 percent of the Ita shares for 325 million euros and later control the entire company. According to media reports, Brussels will require Lufthansa to reduce its long-haul services from Frankfurt and Munich as a condition.
The air traffic unions argue that Lufthansa's entry into Ita, as part of the proposed merger, could significantly enhance air traffic operations between Germany and Italy. In light of these concerns, various trade unions and employee organizations within the EU have urged the authorities to swiftly approve this union.
Source: www.dpa.com
