The Independent Flight Attendant Organization (Unabhängigen Flugbegleiter Organization, UFO), which represents cabin crew from Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine, is calling for a strike on March 12th and 13th. They will be accompanied by rallies at Lufthansa hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, and over 19,000 flight attendants are expected to be on strike.
A word from UFO
According to the union, the strike was the result of the failed negotiations between Lufthansa and the union regarding its demand for remuneration. The union quoted the carrier’s strong performance and inflation as the primary reasons behind its demands, and they expressed their disappointment with the airline.
Harry Jaeger, head of collective bargaining policy and negotiator at UFO, said,
“There were countless opportunities for Lufthansa to abandon or at least correct ‘red lines’ in order to clear the way for a good solution. Well, after 15 rounds without agreement, we unfortunately have to assume that the management wants to escalate things at the expense of the passengers.”
The negotiation has been going on for some time, with reports of the talks first emerging in January, when UFO called for a 15% pay increase for cabin crews at Lufthansa CityLine. Peace obligation for the cabin crews ended in December last year, but the union continued negotiations in January. However, little progress has been made, and strikes are being used as a ‘last resort.’
According to the strike calls put out by the airlines, the strikes will affect all Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine flights departing from Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday, March 12th, from 4:00 local time to 23:00, and all flights departing Munich Airport on Wednesday, March 13th, from 4:00 local time to 23:00.
Another week, another strike
Lufthansa’s ground handling workers were on strike from March 7th to March 9th, which resulted in the cancellation of most Lufthansa flights on those dates. A security worker strike was also happening concurrently in Frankfurt and Hamburg, further impacting normal operations.
This follows the cancelation of over 1,000 flights due to a ground staff strike between February 7th and 8th and another security worker strike by Verdi in the first week of February. The strike next week will likely see Lufthansa significantly trimming its schedule again, especially at its two hubs in Munich and Frankfurt.
Source SimpleFlying.com
