In the latest chapter of its long-running feud with Lufthansa over retirement benefits, the German pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has begun another strike that will halt roughly half of the carrier’s passenger flights and may result in some delays in cargo shipments.
The strike – the ninth work stoppage at the airline this year alone – is scheduled to take place in two phases: 1) a 36-hour shutdown from noon on Dec. 1 (Central European Time) and midnight on Dec. 2 for short- to medium-range flights, and 2) a 21-hour strike from 3 a.m. to midnight, Dec. 2, for all long-haul passenger flights as well as Lufthansa Cargo flights.
This is the second time this year a VC-organized strike has involved pilots flying for Lufthansa Cargo. However, according to a statement from the Lufthansa freight subsidiary, no scheduled cargo flights between now and the planned end of the strike will be cancelled, due to an earlier rescheduling of certain connections. VC represents about 5,400 pilots employed by Lufthansa.
Over the next few days, the carrier said some of the rescheduled passenger flights carrying belly cargo may be delayed until after the strike. No flights scheduled for the carrier’s 19 freighter aircraft – four 777Fs and fifteen MD-11Fs – will be affected by the labor action.
Meanwhile, about 1,350 passenger flights on Monday and Tuesday have been canceled so far, Lufthansa said. The cancelations will affect approximately 150,000 passengers, who may see delays continue through the rest of the week as they are booked on other flights. The costs of strike disruptions from earlier this year have reduced the German carrier’s operational revenues for 2014 by about €170 million. For a full list of canceled Lufthansa flights, click here.
As with most other labor actions taken against Lufthansa in 2014, the issue has been the carrier’s plan to end its policy of allowing newly hired pilots to retire at 55 years of age and retain 60 percent of their salaries before their regular pension payments kick in at age 65. During negotiations, Lufthansa has offered the pilots an across-the-board pay raise of 5 percent, but has refused to budge on the pension impasse.