Lufthansa could be set for more strikes this week after a court ruled that action by pilots cannot be declared illegal.
The carrier is just recovering from a 35-hour stoppage that saw almost 1,500 flights cancelled. The action ended just before midnight on Tuesday, meaning there will be a knock-on effect in disruption to long-haul services.
A labour court in Germany this week found no grounds to declare the strike illegal, paving the way for further action in a dispute that centres on an attempt to change retirement and pension arrangements.
The pilots’ union, which has already called eight stoppages this year, has said it may take further action as early as this week. A representative told the BBC: "We explicitly do not rule out further strikes this week if Lufthansa doesn't budge.”
The union is calling on the airline to reconsider its decision to raise the age that they can retire from 55 to 60 and extend its pension scheme to new recruits.
Lufthansa is in the throes of a cost-cutting exercise, including setting up a budget long-haul arm which will employ staff on less favourable conditions and with lower salaries than the mainline brand.
Gary Noakes
