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German commercial pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has called on its members at Lufthansa group airlines to continue staging strike action after a two-day demonstration earlier this week.
Set to begin on Thursday 16 April at 12:01 am local time and end on Friday 17 April at 11:59 pm local time, the latest round of action calls for arbitration to resolve the pension dispute.
Also, all Eurowings GmbH flights departing from German airports on 16 April between 12:01 am and 11:59 pm will be impacted, VC announced in its press release, saying that the situation remains “unchanged”.
“There is absolutely no movement on the part of the employers,” said Andreas Pinheiro, President of VC. “Neither Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo have made an offer regarding company pension schemes, nor has Lufthansa CityLine made a viable offer for a new collective bargaining agreement on remuneration, nor has Eurowings made any offer regarding company pension schemes.”
He also said that arbitration would be a means to resolve the dispute with the support of an independent third party and avoid further escalation.
This comes after initial strike action that took place on 12 and 13 April.
The walkout, announced with less than two days’ notice, was projected to put at least 80% of flights from Frankfurt and Munich hubs in jeopardy, potentially leaving more than 50,000 travellers in limbo, Air Traveler Club reported.
VC, which represents at least 10,000 pilots across various German airlines, added that its grievance is rooted in Lufthansa’s reluctance to settle several wage disputes, including over pensions.
How has Lufthansa responded?
With negotiations collapsing, the Cologne-based carrier now faces the fallout, including replacing scheduled flights with services operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group or partner airlines.
In an updated statement, Lufthansa said that passengers impacted by the action would be informed via email on 14 April.
As per the latest rebooking and refund policy, passengers with tickets from Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, Brussels Airlines or Air Dolomiti, issued on or before 13 April, and booked on Lufthansa-operated flights, including Lufthansa CityLine on 13-16 April can rebook for free to another Lufthansa Group flight from before 23 April. There is also the option to request a refund.
Lufthansa will also offer Deutsche Bahn train tickets for passengers on cancelled flights with no alternative options.
“We sincerely regret the disruption caused by the strike announced at short notice by the union Vereinigung Cockpit and thank you for your understanding,” the carrier said.
Weekend awash with disruptions
The upcoming strike action comes on the heels of ten of thousands of passengers across Germany experiencing travel disruptions.
Unabhängige Flugbegleiter Organisation (UFO), a union representing cabin crew professionals in Germany, called on crew members of Lufthansa CityLine GmbH to strike on Friday 10 April.
The day-long strike grounded flights across Frankfurt and Munich, with The Independent reporting approximately 580 Frankfurt flight cancellations, affecting as many as 72,000 travellers.
Like their pilot counterparts, UFO’s grievances also lie in unresolved wage disputes – resorting to industrial action to achieve their demands.
“To this day, management consistently refuses to even enter into negotiations with us regarding our demands for a collectively agreed social plan, to address our demands, or even to submit a negotiable offer for such a plan,” the union said.
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