“Clarify open points”
Lufthansa and Verdi want to start arbitration
March 14, 2024, 8:55 p.m
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Tens of thousands of air travelers are currently having to reschedule again and again due to various tariff conflicts in German air traffic. Another round of negotiations between Lufthansa and Verdi regarding ground staff remained unsuccessful. Both sides now want to go to arbitration.
According to Lufthansa, the collective bargaining parties are seeking arbitration in Lufthansa’s collective bargaining dispute with the Verdi union over more money for ground staff. Lufthansa said the most recent round of negotiations also had no result. “Both sides want to agree to arbitration.” Verdi negotiator Marvin Reschinsky declared the negotiations had failed and confirmed that the union was offering Lufthansa mediation. However, Verdi sets conditions for this: the employer must promise to reach a result in the arbitration, for which both sides appoint mediators, by Easter Saturday and then recognize it.
Verdi will hold a strike vote among members from the beginning of next week, which would clear the way to an indefinite forced strike. Reschinsky criticized Lufthansa for not improving its offer during the last two days of negotiations. That would be a ten percent tariff increase for 28-month terms in addition to an inflation premium. Verdi is demanding 12.5 percent more money for the approximately 25,000 employees on the ground, at least 500 euros, for a term of twelve months, as well as an inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros.
Despite rapprochement, it was not yet enough to reach a conclusion, explained Lufthansa Human Resources Director Michael Niggemann. “Together we now want to clarify the open points with the help of mediation in order to then reach an agreement.” Meanwhile, negotiations are still ongoing at Lufthansa regarding the payment of almost 20,000 flight attendants at the main brand and at the regional subsidiary Cityline.
“The arbitration process should be concluded as quickly as possible and there should be a peace obligation during the arbitration,” explained Lufthansa. Verdi makes whether further strikes are now off the table dependent on whether Lufthansa agrees to the conditions for the arbitration and whether it comes about. The employees had stopped work twice in the past few weeks to put the company under pressure. The majority of Lufthansa flights were canceled, meaning around 100,000 travelers had to change their plans each time. Verdi recently called on aviation security personnel to carry out warning strikes at several German airports on Friday.