Some jobs give you more power than others. If, say, the employees of a car factory go on strike, then it is mostly their employer who is interested. But most people hardly notice anything about it, after all, hundreds of thousands of cars aren’t missing from one day to the next. The situation is different for bus drivers, train drivers and airline employees: they can now paralyze entire cities or even half the country. That’s what happened last Wednesday when the Lufthansa ground staff went on strike, the check-in staff, the suitcase packers, the technicians. Almost nothing worked at the hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. More than 1000 flights had to be cancelled, Lufthansa lost many millions and some passengers lost the prospect of a relaxing holiday. The next showdown will follow this Wednesday and Thursday in a hotel at Frankfurt Airport. The delegations from Lufthansa and the Verdi trade union meet for the third round of negotiations. In the end there could be an agreement – but also more warning strikes. These are the most important points:
What Verdi wants to achieve
The union is demanding 9.5 percent more wages for the 20,000 employees. For everyone who earns less than 3700 euros gross, there should be a slightly larger increase of 350 euros. Verdi justifies the comparatively high demand with the high inflation that has been going on for months, in July it was 7.5 percent. Second, the negotiators Christine Behle and Marvin Reschinsky point out that there have been no wage increases in the past two years. In the crisis that aviation had slipped into as a result of the corona pandemic, employees also had to forego Christmas and vacation pay, and many were on short-time work. The third argument for a sharp wage increase: Verdi criticizes that the burden has risen sharply after the aviation industry laid off around a third of its employees. The people work shifts around the clock, and for a salary that is difficult to live on, especially in metropolitan areas where the airports are located. According to Verdi, a newcomer at check-in receives around 3100 euros gross for a full-time position.
The position of Lufthansa
The airline has made Verdi an offer. She wants to pay the employees 150 euros more immediately, also retrospectively for July. From January 1, 2023, she wants to add another 100 euros. And if the group makes a profit, then there should be a third increase of two percent from July 2023. Lufthansa wants the collective agreement to apply for a total of 18 months. These are “high and socially balanced salaries,” says HR Director Michael Niggemann, who negotiates for Lufthansa.
Why Verdi is not happy with it
The union sees it differently. 250 euros more in two stages are not enough, says her negotiator Marvin Reschinsky. The employees could also not plan with the additional two percent. “The increase depends on the group’s profits. That’s not possible, because the employees ultimately have no control over whether Lufthansa makes large investments, for example, and is therefore in the red.” The union also takes issue with the proposed term of the collective agreement of 18 months. She would prefer to conclude shorter so that she can react again soon – for example, if inflation continues to rise in 2023.
Last week’s warning strike
Verdi and Lufthansa blame each other for last week’s work stoppages. “escalation”, “enormous damage”, “no longer proportionate” it was said from the group. The trade unionists, in turn, say Lufthansa had two days after the announcement to negotiate and avert the warning strikes. But nobody made the attempt. Whatever the case, everyone suffered the damage afterwards: the day of the strike is said to have cost Lufthansa about 100 million euros, 134,000 passengers are said to have been affected. Verdi, on the other hand, was criticized in numerous tabloid and serious media, which may have damaged her reputation.
Are new strikes threatening?
That’s quite possible. Although there could be an agreement for the ground staff on Thursday, the third round of negotiations is usually the last in collective bargaining disputes. The motivation to come to an agreement should also be present on both sides, since the recent warning strike only produced losers. For example, Verdi could waive a small part of the wage demand that Lufthansa meets with in return for the term. However, the offer must include at least inflation compensation, said Verdi deputy boss Behle of the SZ: “This is crucial in order to avert further warning strikes.” But even if the collective bargaining partners should agree, that does not mean that passengers will be spared from strikes in the near future. Because in addition to the negotiations with the ground staff, something is brewing with the pilots. Their union Vereinigung Cockpit and Lufthansa have become entangled in a wage conflict. On the one hand, Cockpit demands a salary increase of 5.5 percent and automatic inflation compensation for 2023. In addition, the union is demanding a uniform tariff structure, which means that ultimately the same conditions should apply to all Lufthansa pilots, which is considered complicated. On Sunday, the pilots voted almost unanimously for a strike, which has not yet been applied for. Internally, it is said that further talks would be held, at least unofficially. For passengers, pilots and Lufthansa, this is at least a small glimmer of hope.