The pilots’ union, Cockpit, has announced renewed strikes affecting Lufthansa and its associated companies, including Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa CityLine, and Eurowings. The new strike is scheduled to begin on April 16th at 12:01 AM and conclude on April 17th at 11:59 PM. Flights departing from German airports during this period are expected to be disrupted.
Furthermore, due to the current situation in the Middle East, flights to those specific countries will remain exempt from the strike action. Andreas Pinheiro, the head of Cockpit, stated on Tuesday that the situation remains unchanged, noting that the employers have made no movement. He specified that there is no offer for supplementary old-age provisions from Lufthansa or Lufthansa Cargo, nor is there a viable proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement from Lufthansa CityLine, or an offer regarding supplementary old-age provisions from Eurowings.
Given these unresolved issues, the union proposes that the employers engage in a binding conciliation process to resolve the existing collective bargaining conflicts. Pinheiro described the situation as being at an impasse, suggesting that conciliation offers an opportunity to resolve the disputes through an independent third party, thereby preventing further escalation. The Vice-Chairman stated that their focus is not on power struggles or ego, but rather on finding sustainable solutions. If the employers agree to this proposed arbitration, Cockpit will promptly put forward recommendations for a suitable conciliator.