More strikes ahead at Lufthansa ?

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 39 total)

  • AMcWhirter
    Participant

    This evening (Sunday) Lufthansa announces that the pilots’ cockpit union will resume strike action in the days ahead.

    Tuesday November 29 the strike will affect short-haul flights.

    Wednesday November 30 the strike is set to affect both short- and long-haul flights.


    GivingupBA
    Participant

    This is getting serious now – Tuesday + Wednesday too? When will the striking Lufthansa staff realize that many of us have a choice, and that the airline world i.e. choice of long-distance carriers has drastically changed in the last 10 years? Personally, when an airline has a major strike, I avoid that airline for a couple of years at least, because I imagine it might happen again and I don’t want the chance of another strike to affect me.


    JohnHarper
    Participant

    Oh dear, my opportunity for Christmas goose may not come about this year at the current rate of things. I have one FRA-SIN sector booked for mid-December when I was hoping to enjoy it.

    Such a first world problem….


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Today’s news from thelocal.de

    http://www.thelocal.de/20161128/lufthansa-pilots-to-strike-tuesday-and-wednesday

    Lufthansa said last night that it hoped to have a revised timetable in place (for the Tuesday and Wednesday strikes) this afternoon.


    RaveAroundTheWorld
    Participant

    I made a key decision to change my short-haul ticket for the Thurs flight which was re-booked for Fri (and would have been cancelled again had I not voided it).

    So I flew Air Chance for the first time in several years. Not bad but simply not convenient via CDG instead of FRA or MUC.

    Verdict – I will stick with the LH Group and move as many flights to LX and OS as possible…..this one might last for some weeks.

    Cheers,
    Rave


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Latest. Lufthansa had today sought an injunction to stop the strikes going ahead.

    But a short time ago a Munich labour court rejected the request.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-lufthansa-unions-court-idUSKBN13N1N5


    WillieWelsh
    Participant

    Lufthansa don’t seem to have anywhere to go with this and things clearly can’t go on as they are.

    Either it’s time to close down and restructure and stay closed down until it’s done or failing that, as my grandmother used to say it’s time to ‘pay up and look pleasant about it’.

    I wouldn’t like to bet on either happening but I’m sure the pilots will work over Christmas to make sure their colleagues and families get away as planned. So maybe a close down is the best option.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Deutsche Welle reports that over 800 Lufthansa flights grounded today. 82,000 passengers affected.

    Tomorrow’s strike is affected to ground 890 flights and affect 98,000 travellers.

    With no solution in sight the strike could continue beyond Wednesday.

    http://www.dw.com/en/lufthansa-strike-grounds-another-800-flights/a-36566950


    MrMichael
    Participant

    Lufthansa if it is going to survive has to stay strong. I hear Lufthansa pilots are amongst the best paid in the industry. I can see why they don’t want Germanwings (or whatever its latest name is) to be the norm, but ultimately all businesses have to react to the competitive market the airline industry clearly is. So my message to their pilots is “wind your necks in and get back to work”.


    AnthonyDunn
    Participant

    Hmmm. A lock-out would be very unGermanic but it might just be the only option left to a management that is encountering extraordinary truculence and intransigence from one of the most privileged and rewarded groups across the entirety of German industry.

    Out of curiosity, can anyone offer any information on pay levels/multiples of the LH board/senior executive team cf. the cockpit crews (and just how this might compare with an Anglo-Saxon entity such as BA or American?)


    JohnHarper
    Participant

    [quote quote=776702]So my message to their pilots is “wind your necks in and get back to work”.

    [/quote]

    Mr Michael – I’m not sure they will listen to you.

    One of the huge issues here is that the staff know Lufthansa is profitable and has been for a number of years. The amounts are not huge but comfortable. All they are asking for in their opinion is their share.

    They have also seen what has happened in other places regarding profits and staff terms and conditions and are adamant they are not going the same way.

    Are they any better than others? I don’t know that they are and while I would not travel with an airline where I didn’t feel safe it’s never something I wonder about with Lufthansa.

    With regard to salaries the best knowledge I have is that a captain earns between €120000 and €195000 a year. The lower end being a junior short haul captain and the upper being a senior A380 captain. That is without duty allowences. I believe last year Carsten Spohr earned €2.7M so there is a lot of ground there.

    New junior cabin crew earn about €21000/year, I’ve no idea about how high long serving senior crew can go.

    The junior cabin crew salary in relation to the CEO is a much bigger percentage than the same calculation than say for instance at British Airways.


    MarcusGB
    Participant

    Seems like KLM are doing well out of this, with many re-bookings being made through them.
    BA are set to have several Strikes before Xmas, as are Virgin Atlantic Pilots, an on the same issue of pay, moving to Low Cost models, and less favourable work conditions.(The Times Business section today)

    KLM and AF have had their issues also, but frankly the glory days of working in an Airline are gone, along with the Passengers comforts and perks. Like Brexit, you get real about the Industry, or should leave it. They are lucky to get anything compared to the average person in the UK, which will last for a period of 10 years by forecasts, and history.

    KLM should have an exceptional load factor year end, boosting their profits, if these Airlines will be unable to ensure flights people have booked, especially around Christmas, do not run. These Strikes alienate travellers considerably, and many simply do not make bookings with such Airlines, and leave them in future!


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    The Lufthansa pilots continue their strike today.

    But Deutsche Welle reports that the “Lufthansa strike causes increasing unease.”

    Lufthansa has also had to cancel 40 flights for tomorrow (Thursday).

    http://m.dw.com/en/lufthansa-strike-causes-increasing-unease/a-36582693


    wowzimmer
    Participant

    The ability for workers to be able to undertake industrial action is the mark of a free, fair and democratic country and I am glad that the German employment courts have not restricted this right.

    Clearly there is a huge gulf between the SMT and pilots on the issue of pay and it would be great for both parties to take mediation and concillation seriously – for the benefit of everyone involved.

    Interestingly, a recent strike at El Al over the priviliges accorded to pilots was to certain extent twarted by management through the outsourcing of longhual jets and pilots to third parties. However, even in this case the cost got too great for the airline and I understand that some compromise from both parties in the dispute eventually resolved the situation.

    From the travellers point of view this is obviously a huge nightmare. I don’t generally fly with Lufthansa but I would certainly think twice about doing so in the future. Not just because a strike took place but because employee relations have reached such a low point that future disruption and employee apathy will be a real and serious possibility.


    MrDarwin
    Participant

    Thanks LP – in the end I discovered in the morning that my flight had been cancelled. After a brief check of my slim options, I managed to get Lufthansa to rebook me on a direct TAM flight to LHR instead, leaving from Sao Paulo (where I drove to instead of Rio). I ended up getting home about 4 hours earlier than I would have with Lufthansa, so a result all round at Lufthansa’s expense. The one way fare with TAM was around £4000 so although I was inconvenienced, I was happy with the resolution (even if the TAM flight was dire).

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