Members of the Independent Flight Attendants Organisation (UFO) for both Deutsche Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine voted in the final ballots, concluded on Friday, to authorize industrial action. The union reported that the approval rate was 94.02 % at Lufthansa and a striking 98.63 % at Lufthansa CityLine. Based on these results, UFO will determine its next steps.
Harry Jaeger, UFO’s head of tariff policy and negotiator, characterised the company’s current “smart productivity” slogan as nothing more than a systematic erosion of working conditions. “Here, protection standards are being cut back systematically. The cabin crew’s resistance and their push for better conditions is only natural” he declared.
In the view of the union, the situation at Lufthansa CityLine remains unchanged and dramatic. The flight‑attendant union criticises the employer side for refusing any negotiations over a collective social plan, despite the planned halt of operations and the existential threats facing roughly 800 cabin employees.
Sara Grubisic, deputy chair and board member for tariff policy at UFO, said the clear vote is both a confirmation and a mandate. “Our members rightly expect that their demands will finally be taken seriously” she told reporters. “If the employers continue to stall or pursue confrontation, it is clear that the cabin crews in both operations are prepared to take the next steps. The results of the ballots give us the necessary momentum for that”.