Lufthansa long-haul pilots hold strike

Pilots of the German carrier Lufthansa have extended their strike to include long-haul flights, canceling nearly all flight at the Frankfurt International Airport.

German pilots’ union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), expanded the strike to include long-haul services from 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) local time to midnight (2200 GMT) on Tuesday, after announcing a 35-hour industrial action at Lufthansa’s short-haul fleet on Monday.
An estimated 200,000 passengers are to be affected by the current walkout, which marks the ninth strike by the airline’s pilots since April.

The VC, which represents nearly 5,400 of Lufthansa Group’s 9,000 pilots, called on the airline to “abandon their hard-line attitude” and “make a contribution to the resolution of the labor dispute.”

The pilots are seeking a transition payment for those choosing to take early retirement.

“If Lufthansa remains obstructive and keeps on delaying this process, we will have to consider further strikes,” said Markus Wahl, a VC board member.

The airline, however, has so far refused to accept the demand, saying the current retirement scheme is no longer needed given an increase in life expectancy and a recent court ruling that allows pilots to work until the age of 65.

The Lufthansa strike follows a massive 50-hour walkout by German train drivers over the weekend.

German train drivers’ union had called for a five-percent pay raise for its drivers and the reduction of their working hours from 39 to 37 per week.

GMA/HSN/SS