The pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), representing Eurowings crew at the airline, voted overwhelmingly in a shareholders‑style poll to pursue their demands for improved company pension terms, even if that requires industrial action.
On Monday VC announced that 82 percent of its members cast a vote, and of those, 94 percent answered “yes”. The result well exceeded the required quorum.
The vote followed stalled collective‑bargaining talks over the company’s retirement scheme. Andreas Pinheiro, VC president, said the union received a “strong mandate” to continue pushing for better pension provision. He added that the pilots rightfully expect a long‑term, reliable solution and that VC remains open to constructive dialogue, but demands a serious concession from management.
Arne Karstens, spokesperson for the Group‑Tarifkommission (GTK), described the clear outcome as a “strong signal from the workforce”. The pilots anticipate a substantial upgrade to the pension system and fair employer participation. VC will soon inform members about the next steps.