LUFTHANSA-STRIKE Pilots at Lufthansa's budget airline Germanwings continue two-day strike
Record ID:
341971
LUFTHANSA-STRIKE Pilots at Lufthansa's budget airline Germanwings continue two-day strike
- Title: LUFTHANSA-STRIKE Pilots at Lufthansa's budget airline Germanwings continue two-day strike
- Date: 13th February 2015
- Summary: COLOGNE, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 13, 2015) (REUTERS) NIGHT EXTERIOR OF COLOGNE/BONN AIRPORT GERMANWINGS FLAGS FLYING OUTSIDE VARIOUS NIGHT SHOTS OF PARKED GERMANWINGS PLANES EMPTY CHECK-IN COUNTERS TRAVELLER FLIPPING THROUGH CALENDAR / GERMANWINGS QUEUE BARRIER VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT GERMANWINGS COUNTER (SOUNDBITE) (German) STRANDED PASSENGER, NO NAME GIVEN, SAYING: "What can I do? I'm at their mercy. It's not the fault of the people working here (points to counters). I would just like to know why pilots should have the right to retire at age 55 when everybody else who also works hard has to work until they are 67 years old. I don't really understand it." VARIOUS OF CANCELLED FLIGHTS ON DEPARTURES BOARD (SOUNDBITE) STRANDED PASSENGER, PAUL RUPIETTA, SAYING: "Pilots make so much money. I don't understand it. It's beyond me." VARIOUS OF TWO WOMEN AT GERMANWINGS COUNTER GERMANWINGS LOGO ON COUNTER
- Embargoed: 28th February 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA1MZXDCTQXTPS6ETGBRTSTMMLS
- Story Text: Pilots at Lufthansa's budget airline Germanwings entered a second and final day of strikes on Friday (February 13), forcing the carrier to cancel some 160 flights, according to German media reports.
The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots union strike, designed to put pressure on Lufthansa's management in a long-running row over early retirement benefits, is due to run until 2259 GMT on Friday.
Passengers stranded at Cologne airport expressed little sympathy for the pilots' cause.
"What can I do? I'm at their mercy," one woman, who declined to give her name, said.
"It's not the fault of the people working here," she said, pointing to the Germanwings counters.
"I would just like to know why pilots should have the right to retire at age 55 when everybody else who also works hard has to work until they are 67 years old. I don't really understand it," she added.
Another passenger, Paul Rupietta, said "pilots make so much money. I don't understand it. It's beyond me."
The VC pilots staged 10 strikes last year, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers and wiping up to 200 million euros ($226 million) off Lufthansa's operating profit at a time when the airline is trying to reduce costs to keep up with rivals. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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