Frankfurt, Germany – Lufthansa’s cabin crew union has announced a two-day strike affecting Frankfurt and Munich, two of Germany’s busiest airports. This strike comes just days after the airline reported record profits for the previous year.
The strike, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, will impact approximately 100,000 travelers. It will cover all departures out of Frankfurt on Tuesday and all flights from Munich on Wednesday. The union, Independent Flight Attendants Organization (UFO), is calling for a 15% pay increase and a €3,000 inflation compensation payment for its members at Lufthansa and Cityline.
Despite Lufthansa’s doubled profits in 2023, reaching €1.67bn, the union feels that cabin crews should benefit from this success. Joachim Vazquez Buerger, UFO board chairman, expressed regret over the strike and asked passengers to excuse any inconvenience caused.
The failure to reach an agreement with staff has led to tensions within the airline. The UFO negotiator suggested that management’s actions may be exacerbating the situation, to the detriment of passengers. Strike actions by ground staff members in Germany last week affected around 200,000 passengers, prompting demands for a pay rise and inflation compensation bonus.
Ver.di union, which led the ground staff strike, called for a 12.5% pay increase or a minimum wage adjustment for its 25,000 members. Despite Lufthansa’s offer of at least a 10% pay increase, tensions remain high as ground staff feel their wages do not reflect the airline’s profitability.
The ongoing strikes are causing disruptions for passengers and highlighting the ongoing labor disputes within Lufthansa. The airline’s management faces pressure to address the concerns of their employees and reach a resolution to prevent further disruptions to travelers.