Lufthansa faces potential strike action following a decisive vote by its pilots. The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots’ union announced Tuesday that its members have overwhelmingly approved a work stoppage through a recent ballot.
While the precise timing of any potential strike remains unconfirmed, the union stated that the next steps will be determined by its tariff commission. Participation in the vote was high, with 90% of Lufthansa pilots and 95% of Lufthansa Cargo pilots participating. A substantial majority, 88% and 96% respectively, voted in favor of strike action.
The dispute centers on demands made by the VC on behalf of approximately 4,800 Lufthansa pilots, primarily concerning employer contributions to occupational pension schemes. The union argues that the level of pension provisions has diminished since the shift eight years ago from a guarantee of payouts to a guarantee of contributions only, citing low interest rates. Lufthansa has deemed the union’s demands financially unsustainable. Negotiations have been declared unsuccessful after seven rounds of discussions.
Pilots have also voiced opposition to Lufthansa’s plans to transfer positions to other airlines operating with considerably lower labor costs.
Past pilot strikes have resulted in the near-total cancellation of Lufthansa’s flight schedule. The last pilot strike occurred three years ago and lasted for a single day. The possibility of significant disruption to air travel is now being assessed.