- Trade unions strike at Lufthansa airline
Two unions within the Lufthansa group are preparing the next strike at leisure airline Discover Airlines. The union for pilots, Vereinigung Cockpit, and the cabin crew union Ufo have announced that they will begin coordinated votes on Thursday (15th August) for a joint approach to achieve better working conditions. The vote on industrial action will end the following Wednesday (21st August).
The background to this is the collective bargaining agreement that Discover has reached with rival union Verdi, which the two unions not involved in the negotiations believe represents only a small number of the approximately 1900 employees in the flying personnel. "Here, an illegitimate employee representative has been appointed by management," says Ufo's tariff expert Harry Jaeger.
Lufthansa and Verdi have concluded wage and framework collective agreements for Discover, which will apply until the end of 2027. These include wage increases, allowances, and special payments. Pension schemes, duty plans, and sick pay supplements are also included. Discover operates 27 aircraft from Frankfurt and Munich on tourist routes.
Ufo and VC could now try to enforce their own competing collective agreements at Discover through strikes. Only then would it be necessary to check which union has more members in the company. A prior membership count was suggested, but Lufthansa has not reacted to this proposal.
The VC pilots have already gone on strike at Discover during the previous winter for the first collective agreements, while Ufo called for a strike to even enter negotiations with the company.
For Verdi, the agreement is a success because it has so far only been significantly represented among ground staff and in the Eurowings cabins within the Lufthansa group. It has only achieved a collective agreement for pilots at the freight subsidiary Aerologic.
Verdi's chief negotiator Marvin Reschinsky emphasized that the agreement is clearly above the demands of VC and UFO. "The current conflict shows that it is not about achieving more for the employees, but about securing power and significance within the group. Their public stance on Discover Airlines ultimately hinders growth and thus career prospects for the colleagues there." Verdi is currently experiencing a wave of new members among the employees.
The unions Ufo and Vereinigung Cockpit, unhappy with the collective bargaining agreement reached between Discover and rival union Verdi, are primarily represented by German employees. This situation has led to bitter feelings in Germany, as both unions believe they represent a larger portion of Discover's approximately 1900 employees.
If Ufo and VC decide to enforce their own collective agreements through strikes, it could potentially disrupt flights operated by Discover from Frankfurt and Munich, which are both based in Germany.
