German airline Lufthansa’s pilots are planning a two-day strike starting on Wednesday after the company allegedly failed to submit a better salary proposal than its current offer of 11,000 Euros per year. Less than a week ago, pilots went on a one-day strike, but there have been no talks since.
The strike would probably put a stop to Lufthansa’s global operations, and the airline may have to cancel at least 160 flights from its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. If the strike continues, more than 260,000 people might be left stranded.
The second walkout was declared by the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union on Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours before the strike was scheduled to start. The union’s spokesperson, Matthias Baier, stated that unless the airline made a “real” pay offer, a strike will take place.
“Unfortunately the persistence forces at Lufthansa are considerable. It is now important that the parties find each other quickly and with due seriousness at the negotiating table,” commented Marcel Gröls, chairman of tariff policy at the union.
The airline’s pilots will go on strike from Wednesday at 12:01 am to Thursday at 11:59 pm. The strike by cargo pilots will start at the same time and go through Friday at 11:59 p.m.
The Eurowings brand of Lufthansa won’t be impacted by the strike.
According to Lufthansa, it has offered pilots a wage raise of 900 euros per month, to be paid in two installments over the course of 18 months. The Lufthansa proposal would be most advantageous to junior pilots, although it would still represent a 5% pay increase for senior Captains.
According to the airline, last-ditch negotiations will take place on Tuesday in an effort to stop the walkout.
