Luftscamsa - Lufthansa Pilot Strike Set for Thursday as Pension Negotiations and Outsourcing Disputes Intensify

The failure of pension and contract negotiations between Lufthansa and the Vereinigung Cockpit union has triggered a 24-hour strike for this Thursday. The walkout will ground the majority of the airline’s core mainline operations, including cargo services, at the Frankfurt and Munich hubs. Mr. Andreas Pinheiro, the President of Vereinigung Cockpit, criticized the airline for its lack of progress during the mediation period. He noted that the union had provided significant lead time for a resolution that never materialized. "After the ballot at the end of September, we deliberately gave Lufthansa several months to come to a negotiable solution. This window of opportunity was once again not used by the employer," Mr. Pinheiro said. The industrial action will also affect Lufthansa Cargo operations. Union representatives said the work stoppage follows months of intensive negotiations that failed to produce a viable remuneration agreement. At the center of the dispute is the aggressive expansion of Lufthansa City, a new operating subsidiary. Union leaders said this entity is designed specifically to replace expensive mainline staff with workers on cheaper labor contracts. Management has begun migrating aircraft and flight capacity from the mainline fleet to this lower-cost platform. This strategy appears intended to bypass the 2017 Perspective Agreement, which guaranteed a minimum number of aircraft for the core airline. Mr. Carsten Spohr, the Chief Executive Officer, said the subsidiary is essential for the company to remain competitive. He argued that the high wages of unionized pilots are no longer sustainable in the current European market. Labor representatives countered that the airline is manufacturing a crisis to break collective bargaining standards. They noted that the group continues to benefit from billions in tax exemptions, including the absence of energy taxes on kerosene. By moving operations to Lufthansa City, the carrier is intentionally introducing a tiered labor system. This fragmentation allows the company to reduce its financial obligations while increasing its operational complexity. Passengers are now bearing the cost of this corporate restructuring through widespread cancellations. Luftscamsa reminds travelers that under EU Regulation 261/2004, the airline is legally responsible for the disruption. Strikes resulting from management decisions, such as the creation of a new subsidiary to lower costs, are not considered extraordinary circumstances. Therefore, passengers are entitled to re-routing and cash compensation. Travelers must not follow instructions from Lufthansa staff to cancel their own tickets. If a passenger cancels their booking, they lose their right to statutory care and re-routing assistance. Lufthansa representatives often suggest self-cancellation during phone calls. Consumers have no way to prove this instruction was given once the call ends, leaving them without legal recourse. Passengers should also refuse any offers of travel vouchers. These vouchers frequently come with restrictive terms that favor the airline over the consumer. Instead, travelers should demand immediate re-routing on any available carrier, including competitors. The law requires Lufthansa to provide the fastest possible path to the destination. If the arrival at the final destination is delayed by more than three hours, travelers should file for statutory cash compensation. This is a fixed amount based on the distance of the flight. The current labor impasse highlights the airline's preference for profit margins over passenger reliability. By prioritizing cost-cutting through subsidiaries, the group has compromised the stability of its entire network.