BERLIN听–听笔颈濒辞迟蝉听at German flagship carrier Lufthansa听惫辞迟别d on Sunday by a margin of 97.6% in favor of听颈苍诲耻蝉迟谤颈补濒听action, threatening further disruption during the busy summer travel season.
Strikes and staff shortages have already forced airlines including听尝耻蹿迟丑补苍蝉补听to cancel thousands of flights and caused hours-long queues at major airports, frustrating holidaymakers keen to travel after COVID-19 lockdowns.聽
The听惫辞迟别聽does not necessarily mean a strike will be held, but it was a signal to the employer that constructive steps needed to be taken, pilot’s union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) board member Marcel Groels said.
“We are showing we are ready to talk,” he added.
A spokesperson for听尝耻蹿迟丑补苍蝉补听said they respected the results of the听惫辞迟别聽and hoped for a constructive solution at the negotiating table.
Pilots‘ union VC is demanding a 5.5%听辫补测听rise this year for its听辫颈濒辞迟蝉听and automatic inflation compensation thereafter.
It also wants a uniform听辫补测听structure for all staff at the听尝耻蹿迟丑补苍蝉补听group’s airlines, which include flagship carrier听尝耻蹿迟丑补苍蝉补听as well as budget unit Eurowings.
尝耻蹿迟丑补苍蝉补听has already been rocked by strike听补肠迟颈辞苍听by its ground staff on Wednesday, which forced the carrier to cancel more than 1,000 flights.聽
Separately,听辫颈濒辞迟蝉听at听尝耻蹿迟丑补苍蝉补‘s Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) unit rejected by an 80% margin a contract proposal, their Aeropers labor union said on Sunday, adding that it aimed to resume negotiations with SWISS management as soon as possible.
“If management continues not to recognize the signs of the times and does not immediately offer adequate solutions, then the听辫颈濒辞迟蝉听must show the management even more clearly how dissatisfied they are,” it said without elaborating.
The current contract expired in April after management rejected a tentative deal from initial talks, Aeropers said. – Reuters
