LUFTHANSA-STRIKE/GERMANWINGS Pilots at Lufthansa's Germanwings begin two-day walkout

Record ID: 341967

  • Title: LUFTHANSA-STRIKE/GERMANWINGS Pilots at Lufthansa's Germanwings begin two-day walkout
  • Date: 12th February 2015
  • Summary: COLOGNE, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 12, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS NIGHT SHOT EXTERIORS OF COLOGNE/BONN AIRPORT VARIOUS OF GERMANWINGS PLANES PARKED ON TARMAC GERMANWINGS FLAGS FLYING VARIOUS OF DEPARTURES HALL SHOWING CANCELLED OR DELAYED FLIGHTS PASSENGERS STANDING AT GERMANWINGS COUNTER (SOUNDBITE) (German) STRANDED PASSENGER, BARBARA KLEIN, SAYING: "This Cockpit union which has once again called for a strike is doing so at the expense of a lot of passengers who, unlike us, aren't going on holiday but need to go on a business trip. They are striking for privileges which do no longer exist anywhere else in the industry. By now, I feel this is a kind of blackmail." PASSENGERS AT COUNTER PARKED GERMANWINGS PLANE/EMPTY COUNTER "GERMANIA" PLANE LANDING GERMANWINGS PLANES PARKED ON TARMAC VARIOUS OF EMPTY COUNTER (SOUNDBITE) (German) LUFTHANSA SPOKESWOMAN, BARBARA SCHAEDLER, SAYING: "We are trying on a daily basis in writing and by telephone to enter into talks with the Cockpit union. We offered an arbitration and I hope very much that we will make some progress. At the end of the day, this is just like with all other human beings and organisations: you have to talk to each other." VARIOUS OF PARKED GERMANWINGS PLANE (SOUNDBITE) (German) LUFTHANSA SPOKESWOMAN, BARBARA SCHAEDLER, SAYING: "The airline industry is undergoing changes, prices are falling and competition is tough so obviously, costs need to be adjusted. To achieve this, everybody in a compa
  • Embargoed: 27th February 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEQPB3MHG2LI9GU21V7X619ZSG
  • Story Text: Lufthansa's budget airline, Germanwings, was forced to cancel 160 out of a scheduled 430 flights on Thursday (February 12), according to a spokesman, after pilots began a two-day strike.
    German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) is seeking to put pressure on management in a long-running row over pay and conditions.
    The VC pilots staged 10 strikes last year, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers and wiping up to 200 million euros ($226 million) from 2014 operating profit at Lufthansa, which is trying to reduce costs to keep up with rivals.
    The strike, affecting departures across Germany, is due to run until 2259 GMT on Friday.
    Germanwings, which runs short-haul flights in Europe, said on Wednesday (February 11) it expected to operate more than 60 percent of the 900 flights normally scheduled over the strike period by using volunteer pilots or chartering planes from other airlines.
    The row between pilots and management concerns early retirement benefits that Lufthansa wants to change for new starters.
    Stranded passenger Barbara Klein had no sympathy for the pilots' demands, saying "this Cockpit union which has once again called for a strike is doing so at the expense of a lot of passengers who, unlike us, aren't going on holiday but need to go on a business trip."
    "They are striking for privileges which do no longer exist anywhere else in the industry. By now, I feel this is a kind of blackmail," Klein said.
    The current scheme enables pilots to retire at 55 and still receive a portion of their pay until regular state pension payments kick in. Lufthansa wants to increase the earliest age at which its new pilots can retire to reflect increasing life expectancies and cut costs.
    Lufthansa spokeswoman Barbara Schaedler told Reuters Television "the airline industry is undergoing changes, prices are falling and competition is tough so obviously, costs need to be adjusted."
    "To achieve this, everybody in a company has to make a contribution, all employee groups including pilots."
    Like rival Air France-KLM, Lufthansa wants to increase low-cost operations to win back market share lost to the likes of Ryanair and easyJet, which are expanding in its home market.
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