The next strike is imminent in the Lufthansa Group. Passengers of the holiday flight subsidiary Discover Airlines must be prepared for cancellations and delays on Sunday and Monday. The Cockpit Association (VC) union is calling on the pilots to go on strike for these two days. After strikes shortly before Christmas and last week, the pilots are stopping work for the third time.
The union is fighting for an initial collective agreement at the airline, which was founded two and a half years ago and operates in Frankfurt and Munich. VC now informed its members that management had not presented an improved offer in recent discussions. In addition, Discover Airlines adheres to the condition of concluding a so-called social partnership charter before a collective bargaining agreement. From the VC’s point of view, this should massively restrict the right to strike.
“The negotiations have therefore failed and cannot be continued under the intolerable conditions demanded by the employer,” the VC collective bargaining commission informed the employees. People were surprised at the management’s approach because the Swiss holiday airline Edelweiss had a solid collective employment agreement within the group.
The January strike resulted in some disruptions at Discover Airlines. The company operates a total of 24 aircraft and flies short-haul flights from Munich on behalf of the parent company Lufthansa, among other things. On the day of the strike, Lufthansa took over these flights itself. The VC and the cabin union UFO, which was also involved, were very satisfied after the industrial action. The participation of the workforce in the cockpit and cabin was overwhelming; A number of flights either did not operate as scheduled or did not operate at all.
At Lufthansa, flight attendants and ground staff are threatening warning strikes
The Lufthansa Group’s holiday airline was initially launched in the Corona summer of 2021 under the name “Eurowings Discover” and was later renamed “Discover Airlines”. It should be cheaper than the Lufthansa core brand and compete with holiday airlines like Condor.
Lufthansa is currently negotiating working conditions and pay with several groups of employees in different group companies. On the Discover there are conflicts with the pilots and cabin crew. At parent company Lufthansa, flight attendants and ground staff have already threatened warning strikes. In addition, labor disputes at service providers, such as those recently at security checkpoints and ground services, are restricting air traffic.