Lufthansa promises new wage offer to pilots ahead of strike


(Updated with context and Lufthansa statement)

FRANKFURT, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Lufthansa will present an improved offer to its pilots on Tuesday to avoid an escalation of a labor dispute in support of wage demands, said the German airline, which faces another strike this week.

Lufthansa pilots will go on strike again on Wednesday and Thursday, the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union announced on Tuesday. A previous strike last week caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

The movement will concern both passenger and freight flights, said the union, which brings together more than 5,000 pilots.

Passenger pilots will strike on Wednesday and Thursday, while freight pilots will strike for an additional day – Friday.

VC is calling for a 5.5% wage increase this year, retroactive from July 1, and an 8.2% rise in 2023 to cope with inflation.

So far, the group has proposed an increase of 500 euros from September 1, 2022 and 400 euros from April 1, 2023.

“We will do everything we can (…) to achieve an improved offer,” Michael Niggemann, Lufthansa’s human resources manager, said in a statement on Tuesday. (Report Tom Sims; French version Jean Terzian and Diana Mandi, told by Jean-Stphane Brosse)



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