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A Lufthansa employee helps with luggage: The airline put the average salary increase at around 12.5 percent
Photo: Andreas Arnold / dpa
Lufthansa has met the demands of the Ver.di union in the collective bargaining dispute. According to the fundamental agreement in the arbitration on Wednesday, the ground staff will receive up to 18 percent more pay in the future. The airline and Ver.di have now announced the details of the collective agreement for the approximately 25,000 employees. They will receive seven percent more money retroactively to January 1, 2024, but at least 280 euros more.
As of March 1, 2025, all employees will receive a basic amount of 150 euros, and their remuneration will then be increased by another two percent. The holiday bonus surcharge increases by 150 euros. In addition, all employees receive an inflation compensation payment totaling 3,000 euros in two stages. The term of the collective agreement is 24 months.
In addition, according to Ver.di, a monthly shift allowance of 3.6 percent of the basic salary, which existed for Lufthansa ground employees before 2005, will be reintroduced. Lufthansa put the average salary increase at around 12.5 percent. Human resources director Michael Niggemann spoke of a good compromise that was also a “big economic challenge.”
Accordingly, salaries increase disproportionately in lower and middle salary groups. “We fought hard for this compromise and we can now be very satisfied,” said Ver.di negotiator Marvin Reschinsky. “This result is historic.” This is how eastern collective agreements are brought into line with the western level.
The agreement averted further strikes among ground staff. As mediators, Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow for the union and the former head of the Federal Employment Agency, Frank-Jürgen Weise, for the airline helped to find a solution to the recently deadlocked collective bargaining dispute. The employees had stopped work several times in recent weeks to put the company under pressure. Many Lufthansa flights were canceled, meaning around 100,000 travelers had to change their plans each time.
“I am very grateful that I was able to make my personal contribution to resolving this collective bargaining dispute,” Ramelow is quoted as saying in the Lufthansa press release. The deal is a great success, not only for the airline's employees, but also for the passengers. “As a regular Lufthansa customer, I’m particularly pleased about this.”
Weise, however, spoke of “difficult” negotiations and referred to the “major economic challenge in an international environment” for the airline.
Lufthansa recently offered around a ten percent tariff increase for 28-month terms in addition to an inflation bonus. Ver.di demanded 12.5 percent more money, but at least 500 euros, with a term of twelve months.
eru/dpa