Despite salary increase
Pilots of Lufthansa subsidiary Discover go on strike again
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In the past few weeks, Discover Airlines pilots have already gone on strike three times. Despite a pay rise, the Lufthansa subsidiary is set to go on strike again this weekend. The reason is the lack of a collective agreement.
The Lufthansa subsidiary Discover Airlines is about to launch another pilot strike. The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union has called on its members to go on a three-day strike, which is set to begin on Saturday. The end of the strike is scheduled for Monday at 11:59 p.m. The VC said the aim is to reach a timely and fair agreement on remuneration and the collective agreement.
Since December, the pilots have already staged a five-hour warning strike and two regular strikes in order to force the company, which was founded two and a half years ago, to sign its first collective agreement. With an initial 24 aircraft and around 420 pilots, Lufthansa wants to compete with the holiday airline Condor, among others.
The company says it is paying higher pilot salaries, which it agreed with the works council. The new salaries correspond exactly to the demands of the VC, as both sides have confirmed. The union wants to continue the industrial action, although its material demands seem to have been largely met.
The VC criticized that a works agreement does not have the legal quality and security of a collective agreement with the union. Future talks about salary increases would become “collective begging.” It was clear that the company preferred to negotiate with the works council and that the amount of the demand was not the decisive factor in rejecting the desired collective agreement.
According to a spokeswoman, the company is sticking to its goal of a collective agreement. During the strikes, numerous aircraft remained on the ground. The airline reported that it had brought almost all passengers to their destination.
The VC collective bargaining commission also warned colleagues about the “social partnership charter” being sought by the Lufthansa Group. With advance notice periods, fixed escalation levels, mandatory mediation, compulsory arbitration and a limitation of possible demands, the sole aim is to restrict the existing right to strike. This will not be accepted.
