Lufthansa pilots vote for industrial action over pay

BERLIN (Reuters) – Pilots at German flagship provider Lufthansa voted on Sunday by a margin of 97.6% in favour of business motion, threatening additional disruption in the course of the busy summer season journey season.

Strikes and employees shortages have already compelled airways together with Lufthansa to cancel 1000’s of flights and brought on hours-long queues at main airports, irritating holidaymakers eager to journey after COVID-19 lockdowns.

The vote doesn’t essentially imply a strike will likely be held, however it was a sign to the employer that constructive steps wanted to be taken, pilot’s union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) board member Marcel Groels stated.

“We’re exhibiting we’re prepared to speak,” he added.

A spokesperson for Lufthansa stated they revered the outcomes of the vote and hoped for a constructive resolution on the negotiating desk.

Pilots’ union VC is demanding a 5.5% pay rise this 12 months for its pilots and computerized inflation compensation thereafter.

It additionally needs a uniform pay construction for all employees on the Lufthansa group’s airways, which embody flagship provider Lufthansa in addition to finances unit Eurowings.

Lufthansa has already been rocked by strike motion by its floor employees on Wednesday, which compelled the provider to cancel greater than 1,000 flights.

Individually, pilots at Lufthansa’s Swiss Worldwide Air Traces (SWISS) unit rejected by an 80% margin a contract proposal, their Aeropers labour union stated on Sunday, including that it aimed to renew negotiations with SWISS administration as quickly as doable.

“If administration continues to not recognise the indicators of the instances and doesn’t instantly provide satisfactory options, then the pilots should present the administration much more clearly how dissatisfied they’re,” it stated with out elaborating.

The present contract expired in April after administration rejected a tentative deal from preliminary talks, Aeropers stated.

(Reporting by Scot Stevenson; Enhancing by Hugh Lawson)