According to Lufthansa’s Vereinigung Cockpit pilots union, another strike will be called tomorrow (Thursday 4 December) hitting long-haul services.

This follows two days of industrial action where the airline says it was forced to cancel several hundred flights after talks on an early retirement scheme broke down between the airline and its pilots. It is also estimated that more than 150,000 passengers were unable to take their flights as a result the two-day stopage.

The Vereinigung Cockpit pilots union is now turning its attention to a continuation of its industrial action tomorrow from 03.00 hours in the morning through to midnight.

The union said in a statement: “Lufthansa subsidiary Germanwings, as well as short and medium-haul flights for Lufthansa passengers are not affected by the strike.” The fact that many of these short-haul aircraft will be in the wrong locations due to the two-day short haul strike will, of course, still cause considerable disruption for passengers and the airline.

 

 

 

 

STRIKE HAS COST LUFTHANSA SOME $200M-PLUS
Meanwhile, endless rounds of negotiations between Lufthansa management and Vereinigung Cockpit  have shown little progress lately, and the union says that despite repeated work stoppages there are still considerable differences.

While the union says it regrets the inconvenience to passengers, it adds that it is going out on strike again anyway and extending the scope of its industrial action to long haul. At the same time, analysts say that this dispute is said to have cost Lufthansa in excess of $200m in operating profit.

TRBusiness reported extensively on this escalating dispute earlier this week. For more information click here: http://www.trbusiness.com/index.php/regional/international/16422-strike-cancels-1350-lufthansa-flights.html