MUNICH- The cabin crew union of Lufthansa (LH) has declared a new two-day strike, impacting two of Germany’s busiest airports, Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC).
Scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, this strike is part of an ongoing series affecting the German airline. The union’s announcement follows closely on the heels of Lufthansa reporting record profits for the year 2023.
Lufthansa Cabin Crew Strike
Lufthansa estimates that approximately 100,000 travelers will be affected by the strike. The industrial action will encompass all departures from Frankfurt airport on Tuesday and all flights departing from Munich on Wednesday, spanning from 04:00 to 23:00 local time on both days, as stated by the union.
The upcoming strike is set to impact both Lufthansa and its short-distance, low-cost subsidiary, Cityline. The potential impact on Lufthansa’s codeshare partners remains uncertain.
The Independent Flight Attendants Organization (UFO) is advocating for a 15% salary hike and a €3,000 ($3,280; £2,550) inflation compensation payment for its 18,000 members within Lufthansa and 1,000 members at Cityline.
The decision to strike received overwhelming support from UFO’s members, with more than 96% voting in favor of the industrial action.
Profit Doubled in 2023
Lufthansa revealed on Thursday that its profits had doubled in 2023, reaching €1.67 billion ($1.82 billion; £1.42 billion) from the previous year.
Joachim Vazquez Buerger, UFO board chairman, emphasized that cabin crews should “share in the success” of this achievement. He expressed deep regret over the union’s decision to strike and asked passengers to pardon any inconvenience caused by the industrial action.
However, on Saturday, the UFO negotiator suggested that Lufthansa’s inability to reach an agreement with staff implies that “management intends to exacerbate the situation at the expense of passengers.”
Delays Due to Previous Strikes
Delays and cancellations disrupted the plans of approximately 200,000 passengers as Lufthansa ground staff in Germany initiated a strike on Thursday and Friday.
The Ver.di union, spearheading the strike, outlined the demands of its 25,000 ground staff members, seeking a 12.5% salary increase or a minimum of €500 extra per month, along with an inflation compensation bonus.
While Lufthansa proposed a pay hike of at least 10%, Ver.di contended that the offer fell short. The union argued that despite the airline’s substantial profits, ground staff earn meager wages, barely above the minimum wage threshold.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News.