As negotiations over the collective bargaining agreements for TUI Fly’s roughly 2,000 employees stall, the Verdi trade union’s willingness to engage in strikes has increased. “If TUI Fly continues to delay these negotiations, the likelihood of strikes is extremely high” said Christine Behle, the union’s deputy chair.
The employees are not eager to strike, but they do expect fair and constructive offers that take into account their living situation and the market environment of other airlines. To bring about a change in the employer’s stance and exert pressure, the union is no longer ruling out warning strikes. The first warning strikes could begin as early as February.
The TUI Fly employees, responsible for the safety, reliability, and friendly service of TUI’s flights, know that they are not just fighting for their own interests, but also for the well-being of their families, said Behle. “Many TUI Fly employees have to hold down multiple jobs just to make ends meet. This is an unsustainable situation.”
Verdi has been negotiating with TUI Fly since December 2024, with three rounds of talks so far ending in failure. On January 21, the company presented an offer that would see cabin staff salaries increase by 2.33% annually over a 36-month period. In contrast, the union is demanding a 17% increase, at a minimum of €500 per month, over a 12-month period, in addition to structural demands and a request to reverse some of the deteriorations agreed upon in a 2021 crisis agreement. The negotiations are set to resume on February 12.