The vote covering 4,800 pilots will run until 30 September. If a strike is approved, major disruptions to flights are expected during the holiday season.
Pilots at Lufthansa and its cargo subsidiary Lufthansa Cargo have begun a strike ballot over a dispute concerning company pension plans. The vote, organised by the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), will continue until 30 September.
At the heart of the dispute is a pension scheme that was changed in 2017. The plan, which had previously offered guaranteed payments, was switched to a low-yield capital market model. VC argues that this has weakened pilots’ retirement security and is demanding higher employer contributions from Lufthansa.
VC Vice-President Katharina Dieseldorff, citing the failure of seven rounds of negotiations, said: “Lufthansa has not put forward any offer that comes close to our demands. Solutions require good faith from all parties.”
Strike risk during holiday season
Depending on the outcome of the ballot, strike action could coincide with Germany’s Unity Day holiday on 3 October and the start of the autumn break. At least 70% of members must approve in order for a strike to go ahead.
Tensions between company and unions
As part of its growth strategy, Lufthansa has set up the lower-cost carriers City Airlines and Discover Airlines, while excluding pilot union VC and cabin crew union UFO from these plans. This move is seen as a new flashpoint, deepening the longstanding deadlock in collective bargaining talks.
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