The next pilot strike is imminent at Lufthansa subsidiary Discover Airlines. The Cockpit Association (VC) union has called on its members to go on a three-day strike 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. The pilots have already staged a five-hour warning strike and two regular strikes since December to force an initial collective agreement at the company, which was founded two and a half years ago.
With initially 24 aircraft and around 420 pilots, Lufthansa wants to compete with the holiday airline Condor, among others, with Discover. The company says it 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 therefore wants to continue the industrial action, although 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 talks about salary increases would amount to “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.