Breakthrough seems within reach
Verdi is negotiating again with Lufthansa
February 21, 2024, 4:00 a.m
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Collective bargaining disputes are fought on the street and resolved at the negotiating table. After three waves of warning strikes in February, Verdi is speaking to the collective bargaining partners again today. Meanwhile, some cancellations are still to be expected in Lufthansa’s air traffic today.
After the warning strike at Lufthansa, hopes for negotiated solutions are increasing. In Frankfurt and Berlin, representatives of the Verdi union meet with employers from Lufthansa and private aviation security companies. A breakthrough seems possible in both rounds if the talks continue tomorrow, Thursday.
Before the two warning strikes by Lufthansa ground staff, Verdi organized a nationwide warning strike by aviation security staff on February 1st, which also led to around 1,100 flight cancellations. The second warning strike by ground staff at Lufthansa is not due to end until this morning at 7.10 a.m. in some parts of the company and has also caused more than 1,000 flights to be canceled in total. The walkout by technicians, logisticians and counter staff was particularly noticeable at the Munich and Frankfurt hubs, where flights were also canceled for today. There were also strike actions in Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn and Stuttgart. Flights to the two Lufthansa hubs were also canceled at other airports.
Dispute over timing of payments
Verdi is demanding 12.5 percent more money for the more than 20,000 ground workers as well as an inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros for a term of one year. Lufthansa offered the bonus in fragmented form and around 10 percent more salary, but much later and for a term that was more than twice as long. It seems to only be about payment points and duration, but a Lufthansa spokesman left it open whether the company would increase the offer.
The situation in aviation security is similar after five unsuccessful rounds of negotiations. The collective bargaining partners agreed from the outset for the sixth round to last two days. Verdi is demanding a flat rate of 2.80 euros more hourly wages for passenger and baggage inspectors. Together with other demands, this results in a volume of between 13.6 and 20.25 percent, the employers from the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies calculated and rejected.