The pilots’ union Verband Cockpit has called on its members to go on a warning strike at the Lufthansa subsidiary Discover Airlines. Some flights will be canceled on Saturday.
The collective bargaining committee of the pilots’ union Cockpit (VC) announced that there would be strikes by the Lufthansa subsidiary Discover on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is said that all departures from Germany will be on strike during this time. The holiday airline, founded in 2021, has 24 Airbus aircraft and takes off from the Lufthansa hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.
At the time in question, there are eleven Discover flights on Frankfurt’s timetable, including to long-haul destinations in Florida and the Dominican Republic. In Munich the company operates under Lufthansa flight numbers, meaning that ultimately 16 departures could be struck. The number of passengers affected initially remained unclear.
“Delaying tactics” by the employer
According to its own information, the airline plans to either operate the flights on the same day outside of the strike period or to rebook the passengers on other airlines. “Our priority is to offer all of our guests a travel option,” said a company spokeswoman.
According to the union, the reason for the warning strike is the stalled negotiations surrounding the first collective agreement for pilots at the still young subsidiary. The VC said on Thursday that employers and unions were now well on the way to reaching at least a partial agreement.
However, the employers had until the end “used a stalling tactic by pulling concessions off the table and at the same time demanding new conditions for tariff classification,” criticized the VC. You need safe framework conditions for the cockpit staff.
“Solutions only on negotiating table”
On Thursday, however, the company spoke of “very good advanced discussions”. We are on the home stretch towards concluding a collective agreement. “Partial agreements have already been reached and there is a clear intention to continue negotiations in January and to reach a conclusion quickly,” said a spokeswoman. Solutions can only be found at the negotiating table and we are ready to continue the joint discussions at any time.