The labor dispute between the pilot union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), and Lufthansa reportedly has no immediate prospect of mediation. The VC announced on Wednesday that the airline had rejected an offer of conciliation. VC President Andreas Pinheiro expressed deep disappointment with the rejection, stating that the union had put forward a constructive proposal for mediation that had been positively received by the public.
According to the union, their original proposal was designed to clarify existing differences through a structured and solution-oriented process. Instead, they contend that Lufthansa has counter-proposed sweeping demands, including negotiating not just the current collective bargaining disputes, but also re-examining previously settled agreements that have long terms of validity.
The union views this as an attempt to challenge established agreements, which, in their eyes, hinders any chance of trusting collaboration. Pinheiro noted that such a move is akin to making the fundamental constitution subject to revision when merely amending a regulation.
The union leader further criticized the rejection, arguing that by turning down an offer and failing to present any viable alternative, Lufthansa is accepting the inevitability of the dispute escalating further, rather than contributing actively to de-escalation. He stated that this situation ultimately harms both the passengers and the company, suggesting that the responsibility for this outcome lies with the employer side. Following this development, the pilots plan to resume their work stoppage against Lufthansa on Thursday and Friday.