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Discover plane at Frankfurt Airport
Photo: Arne Dedert/dpa
Passengers of the Lufthansa subsidiary Discover Airlines have to prepare for the next pilot strike. The Cockpit Association (VC) union has called on its members to hold a three-day work stoppage starting on Saturday. The end of the strike is scheduled for Monday at 11:59 p.m. The VC announced that the aim is to reach a timely and fair conclusion on remuneration and general tariffs.
Since December, the pilots have been trying to force a first collective agreement at the company, which was founded two and a half years ago, with a five-hour warning strike and two regular strikes. Numerous aircraft were grounded during the strikes. The airline reported that it had still brought almost all passengers to their destination.
With Discover Airlines, with its initial 24 aircraft and around 420 pilots, Lufthansa wants to compete with holiday airline Condor, among others. According to its own statements, the company pays higher pilot salaries that it agreed with the works council. The new salaries correspond exactly to the demands of the VC, as both sides have confirmed. The union wants to continue the industrial action, even though its material demands initially appear to have been largely implemented.
The VC criticized that a works agreement does not achieve the legal quality and security of a collective agreement with the union. Future discussions about salary increases would become “collective begging.” It can be seen that the company prefers to negotiate with the works council and that the amount of the claim was not decisive for the rejection of the desired collective agreement. However, according to a spokeswoman, the company is sticking to its goal of a collective agreement.
The VC tariff commission also warned colleagues about the “social partnership charter” sought by the Lufthansa Group. The only aim is to restrict the existing right to strike with advance notice periods, fixed escalation levels, mandatory mediation, compulsory arbitration and limitation of possible demands. This will not be accepted.
fdi/dpa