Another Lufthansa strike is planned for Wednesday

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    It’s just been announced that the Lufthansa pilots’ union have called for a strike on Wednesday (September 9).

    Initial reports in the German aviation media say that it will affect Lufthansa short- and medium-haul flights including those of German Wings.

    http://www.airportzentrale.de/lufthansa-piloten-kuendigen-weiteren-streik-fuer-mittwoch-an-jetzt-auch-germanwings-betroffen/42397/

    As we reported earlier today, there is also a strike taking place tomorrow which will affect long-haul services.

    http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/102018/lufthansa-pilots-strike-set-for-tuesday


    AisleSeatTraveller
    Participant

    not that I agree with trade unions or strike action but this is indeed a clever tactic of affecting different parts of the network on alternate days for maximum disruption

    can the LH management tuff it out?


    Charles-P
    Participant

    The Vereinigung Cockpit trade union is losing ground in Germany with the majority of the public no longer in support of their actions. Lufthansa spent years trying to make them understand that it will simply not be viable as a business if the present retirement and pension agreements are extended to new employees but Vereinigung Cockpit will not back down.
    Current retirement age for a Lufthansa pilot is 55 and they retire on an index linked 85% final salary pension for life. Lufthansa is proposing retirement at 60 and a move to a contributory pension for NEW staff.
    This is the heart of the dispute.


    AnthonyDunn
    Participant

    @ Charles-P – 08/09/2015 09:05 BST

    Wow, I realise now just what bad career choice decisions I made when younger! There is something positively Greek in the stance being taken by the Vereinigung Cockpit union. Surreal.


    Gin&Tonic
    Participant

    These disputes supported by existing staff over changes to new staff working conditions really get to me, assuming none of the existing contracts are up for change, surely itโ€™s the decision of the new incoming staff in the future to accept the conditions or not, simples.

    Take UK example, when I started work in 19 bla bla, I was told by my government I could retire at 65 on a full state pension, and my children would receive free university tuition, well now I will only get my state pension at 68 and have since paid a small fortune in tuition fees, Change happens, deal with it.


    Charles-P
    Participant

    The strikes on the London Underground have been linked to similar events, the Union is not so much concerned about current members because their rights and benefits are not being renegotiated, this is about their future potential members. The German trade unions are like their British counterparts seeing ever falling membership and a threat to their very existence in years to come as people choose not to join.

    Very recently the German government introduced legislation to remove the union’s right to impose ‘closed shops’ in certain industries (car building for example) and monthly payments to unions fell by 13% in the first three months after its introduction.

    This strike has little to do with the pilots and a lot to do with Vereinigung Cockpit maintaining its power and income.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Latest news in the German media is that Lufthansa is threatening to take the pilots’ union to court amd “says ‘no’ to further talks on off-shoring jobs in its new EuroWings low-cost unit.”


    MrMichael
    Participant

    As is so often the case with so many unions, protect the pay and conditions of their members irrelevant of the financial reality of life. If they blindly go on striking over working conditions that are generous to a fault then the inevitable will eventually happen…bankruptcy and no job. Goodbye LH, nice knowing you.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Tomorrow’s strike will still proceed.

    Earlier today Lufthansa attempted by legal means to have the Wednesday strike suspended.

    But a short time ago, the Labour Court in Frankfurt dismissed the application from Lufthansa.

    It means the strike tomorrow can go ahead.

    http://www.aero.de/news-22413/Lufthansa-Piloten-duerfen-weiterstreiken.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    More detail (in English language) about the failure of Lufthansa to secure backing from the Labour Court to suspend tomorrow’s strike.

    Union spokesperson Marcus Wahl is quoted by Reuters as saying “We cannot rule out further strikes this week. Strikes are possible in the coming weeks as well.”

    http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/09/08/uk-lufthansa-strike-idUKKCN0R80TI20150908


    Kimi_CDG
    Participant

    Is it me or the tone in this thread is very different to what I have read last year in the same forum during the AirFrance pilots strike? Are BT forum posters more “lenient” when it is about a German strike? ๐Ÿ˜‰

    http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/AF-pilot-strike-15-September-2014


    RaveAroundTheWorld
    Participant

    I m assuming the strikes will continue to affect (just) the core LH flights?

    I need to fly to NY in a few weeks and am wondering if I should avoid Swiss/Austrian as well.

    -Rave


    kweeki1
    Participant

    I agree with you Kimi_CDG. You can find this French bashing (or more exactly AF bashing) in various threads. Well, traditional rivalry – that’s it.
    As for this LH strike I don’t see any difference between AF and LH. In both cases pilot’s Unions could just simply destroy their own companies.


    Charles-P
    Participant

    Although I strongly support the right for anybody to strike in protest against their working conditions or pay I object equally strongly to strikes which are all about union power and little about the members needs.

    Here in Belgium we are used to the major unions having their yearly “day of action” which are so predictable it is laughable – they achieve nothing, are ignored by nearly everyone and are simply an opportunity for the unions to remind us all they still exist.

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