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Lufthansa employees have commenced a two-day strike at two of the busiest airports in Germany.
The cabin crew has staged a walkout today (Tuesday 12 March) and will continue to strike on Wednesday in Frankfurt and Munich.
The strike is also impacting Cityline, the budget airline owned by the flag carrier.
Based on Lufthansa’s statement, approximately 100,000 individuals will be impacted.
The strike will affect all flights departing from Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday and all flights departing from Munich Airport on Wednesday, scheduled between 4am and 11pm local time.
On Saturday, Lufthansa issued a statement on X (previously known as Twitter) stating that the strike would have a major impact on their flight schedule.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the strike and appreciate your understanding during this unique situation.
UFO’s members are demanding a 15% salary hike and an additional €3,000 (£2,556) to account for inflation.
On March 12, 2024, UFO union members stage a demonstration at Frankfurt Airport.
The union reported that over 96% of its members, which included 18,000 Lufthansa employees and 1,000 Cityline workers, approved of taking industrial action.
Only a few days after Lufthansa revealed a profit increase to €1.67 billion in 2023, the latest news was announced.
According to reports, flight crew members have not witnessed any advantages from the recent surge in profits, supposedly caused by UFO sightings.
A representative of the labor union stated that the higher-ups of the company have “separated” themselves from their workers.
“We urge the management of Lufthansa to step out of their exclusive bubble and address the reasonable requests of their staff with appropriate proposals,” stated the group.
“Instead of resolving conflicts through protests, the employer has the responsibility to seek resolutions at the negotiating table.”
The ongoing walkout follows a previous strike that caused disruption for millions of travelers in Germany.
On Thursday, March 7th, there was a strike by train drivers, resulting in approximately 80% of long-distance, regional, and commuter trains being cancelled.
The ground staff of Lufthansa also ceased their work.
The Ver.di labor union is requesting a 12.5% salary increase, or a minimum of €500 (£426) extra per month, for around 25,000 Lufthansa employees who work on the ground such as check-in, aircraft handling, maintenance, and freight.
Source: independent.co.uk
