Frankfurt (AFP)

Some 180,000 Lufthansa passengers will be affected on Thursday and Friday by a "massive" 48-hour strike by its cabin crew in Germany, which forced the airline to cancel a total of 1,300 flights.

At the call of UFO union, this work stoppage must last from 23H00 GMT Wednesday at 2300 GMT Friday and lead to the suppression of 700 flights Thursday and 600 Friday.

Usually such a strike does not cause any confusion at the airports, as Lufthansa informed the passengers and advised those affected by cancellations not to go to the airport.

On Sunday, October 20, UFO had already organized a strike in four subsidiaries of the Lufthansa group, resulting in a hundred or so flight cancellations. But the main company was not targeted: Lufthansa had granted a 2% increase in wages, more than requested by UFO.

The union, however, decided to launch this new social movement because of "Lufthansa's persistent refusal to negotiate" on its other demands, he said in a statement.

- Union battle -

Lufthansa has regularly challenged the legitimacy of the union to represent employees. An attempt to prevent the strike was dismissed Thursday at first instance and then on appeal by the Frankfurt labor court.

The company said its subsidiaries (Eurowings, Germanwings, Sunexpress, Lufthansa Cityline, SWISS, Edelweiss, Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti and Brussels Airlines) were not affected by the strike.

UFO however reserves the right to extend future shares to subsidiaries.

In order to be able to offer other flight options to passengers affected by the strike, the airline is studying what lines these airlines could use for larger aircraft.

Lufthansa also offers its customers to book a flight with a group company immediately and free of charge within the next ten days.

German domestic routes may use Deutsche Bahn whether or not their flights are canceled.

"We will do everything to minimize the impact for our customers who are suffering from this massive strike," said a spokesman for the airline group.

For the UFO union, weakened by a permanent conflict at its head, this strike is also a test of its ability to mobilize while a German court is to look next April on its legitimacy to represent employees.

The group challenges the status of the union and refuses to negotiate with UFO leaders before a new election of the executive board in early 2019.

Lufthansa also engaged in behind-the-scenes discussions with the Verdi union to take over the cabin in addition to the ground staff.

UFO is "half dead", the German daily Tagesspiegel had recently ruled, while according to Handelsblatt, its "financial situation is difficult".

However, the union still remains in the majority of the approximately 21,000 employees working in the cabins, says Handelsblatt.

© 2019 AFP