Eurowings Pilots' union calls for strike
Frankfurt/Cologne · There has already been a strike ballot at the Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings. After another round of negotiations without results, it seems clear: the pilots are going on strike.
The pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit has called for an all-day strike at Eurowings on Thursday. The negotiations on the collective agreement at the Lufthansa subsidiary have failed, the VC announced on Tuesday. Eurowings criticised the announced strike as disproportionate and irresponsible. It was not initially known how many flights would be affected by the strike. A company spokesperson said that the strike would affect the flight operations of Eurowings Germany, but not those of Eurowings Europe.
The VC is seeking better working conditions in the conflict. A central demand is the relief of the employees, for example by reducing the maximum flight duty times and increasing the rest periods. "Ten rounds of negotiations, two of them after the clear signal of the strike ballot, have not led to any significant convergence," the union said.
Eurowings personnel chief Kai Duve said the union was demanding 14 extra days off a year and a five-hour reduction in the maximum working week, despite two pay rises of well over 10 per cent due in the next four months. "At a time when millions of people are dreading a cold winter and the next heating bill, this is not only excessive. The demands would also make 20 per cent of our flights impossible and thus jeopardise the future viability of the airline and its employees," the manager noted.
Original text: dpa
Translation: Mareike Graepel
