Lufthansa: No agreement in wage dispute with pilots – Times Online

In recent weeks, as the Lufthansa and the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit have moved towards each other seemed. Now the two sides have broken off all negotiations on contentious issues without result. In an internal letter of the bargaining committee of the trade union Cockpit it said that there would be no further talks. but was from strikes initially no question.

Both sides had “last in many respects closer, but then again away from each other in some questions,” said Lufthansa spokesman. “Lufthansa is still convinced that an agreement is possible, and will do to resume talks with the Vereinigung Cockpit everything again.”

Also on the part of the union stated that it “initially a hopeful rapprochement between us and the Lufthansa management gave “. but now should be noted that “we in further talks can recognize no sense. (…) Whether the Lufthansa Group will be successful when each region pursuing only its own interests, and these are not centrally consolidated, is more than questionable. ”

For several weeks were negotiating behind closed doors and cockpit Lufthansa. The aims were inter alia to the transitional pension of 5,400 pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and German Wings in the Group collective agreement. Lufthansa wanted to achieve that the pilots later go into early retirement. To date, 60 percent of the basic salary in the individual case already with 55 years, early retirement was possible if all new entrants early retirees have a combined average age of 58 years.

Lufthansa had canceled the rules to the end of 2013 unilaterally. The conflict escalated thereafter. The wage agreement is open since spring 2012 Design.

Lufthansa pilots went on strike until late summer last year 13 times. A ruling by the Landesarbeitsgericht Hessen of being last pilot strike had been canceled at Lufthansa on 9 September. The court ruled that the union had followed with their strike and objectives that may be not achieved when negotiating collective agreements. It was about criticism of the cost concept at Lufthansa subsidiary Euro Wings.