FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Nov 7, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Tens of thousands of Lufthansa
passengers faced disruptions Thursday as cabin crew in Germany kicked off a
“massive” 48-hour walkout in the biggest escalation yet of a bitter row over
pay and conditions.
The strike called by Germany’s UFO flight attendants’ union was scheduled
to start at 2300 GMT on Wednesday and last until 2300 GMT on Friday.
Lufthansa said it was forced to scrap 700 flights on Thursday and some 600
the following day, warning that “around 180,000 passengers will be affected”.
The UFO union said the stoppage would impact all Lufthansa departures from
German airports.
Last-minute efforts by Germany’s largest airline to halt the strike failed
after a court in Frankfurt on Wednesday confirmed that the walkout was legal.
Lufthansa said it regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers and
stressed that the group’s other airlines were not affected.
“We will do everything we can to minimise the impact of this massive
strike on our customers,” a spokesman told AFP.
The carrier said it would run an alternative flight schedule where
possible, and that passengers could rebook their journeys for free or swap
their flights for train tickets.
The UFO union argued that the stoppage was necessary because negotiations
with Lufthansa bosses were deadlocked.
UFO vice-president Daniel Flohr warned that further strikes could come “at
any time”.
The walkout is seen as a test of strength for the union after months of
infighting.
It is also UFO’s biggest call to action since a week-long strike in 2015
hit Lufthansa with mass cancellations.
– Internal disputes –
The union already staged a day-long warning strike last month at four
Lufthansa subsidiary airlines, causing several dozen flights to be axed at
Eurowings, Germanwings, SunExpress and Lufthansa CityLine.
But the flagship Lufthansa brand was spared the upheaval after management
offered a surprise two-percent pay rise to avert the strike.
Since then however, UFO’s Flohr said no progress had been made in talks.
As well as higher pay for cabin crew across the Lufthansa group, UFO is
demanding more benefits and easier routes into long-term contracts for
temporary workers.
Lufthansa for its part has argued that UFO does not have the right to
represent staff anymore following an internal leadership tussle, and has
challenged the union’s legal status in court.
The internal disputes have cost the union support among the Lufthansa
group’s 21,000 flight attendants, with some members switching to rival
unions.
“UFO is battling for its life,” the Handelsblatt business daily wrote last
month.