- Title: Lufthansa pilots' union rejects latest pay offer but calls off strikes
- Date: 26th November 2016
- Summary: FRANKFURT, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) PASSENGERS STANDING IN FRONT OF DEPARTURE BOARD MAN LOOKING AT TICKET BOARD SHOWING SOME CANCELLED FLIGHTS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT CHECK-IN COUNTERS SCREEN AT CHECK-IN COUNTER LUFTHANSA EMPLOYEE HELPING PASSENGER COUPLE STANDING WITH LUGGAGE AIRPORT STAFF DIRECTING COUPLE BOARD SHOWING SOME CANCELLED FLIGHTS (THOSE WITHOUT GREEN LIGHTS) BOARD READING (German): "CANCELLED" VARIOUS OF PASSENGER BEING DIRECTED BOARD MEMBER OF VEREINIGUNG COCKPIT (VC) PILOTS' UNION, JOERG HANDWERG, TALKING TO MEDIA CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (German) BOARD MEMBER OF VEREINIGUNG COCKPIT (VC) PILOTS' UNION, JOERG HANDWERG, SAYING: "This is not about a new offer, rather the position which has been communicated is from an open letter to the staff that is over two months old. There are a lot of issues here. But we find ourselves in a strike about remuneration. For this reason alone, it would be extremely difficult to talk about other issues. It appears they are really more interested in pitfalls, judicials, interpretations than a solution. For this reason, we cannot and will not agree to this offer." HANDWERG TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (German) BOARD MEMBER OF VEREINIGUNG COCKPIT (VC) PILOTS' UNION, JOERG HANDWERG, SAYING: "The dispute remains unresolved. There was no movement on Lufthansa's part. We need a negotiable offer. Otherwise there may be strikes again and again." CAMERA LUFTHANSA SPOKESMAN MARTIN LEUTKE TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (German) LUFTHANSA SPOKESMAN, MARTIN LEUTKE, SAYING: "We have an offer on the issue of remuneration. There is also a requirement of Vereinigung Cockpit. We have offered to go to arbitration on the remuneration issue, and to enter into a discussion together. Vereinigung Cockpit has refused. We then made another offer. This too was rejected. We cannot understand that." LEUTKE TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (German) LUFTHANSA SPOKESMAN, MARTIN LEUTKE, SAYING: "Lufthansa has come many steps towards Vereinigung Cockpit, most recently yesterday. We had to take note of the fact that this was not in any way embraced by Vereinigung Cockpit, to enter into a discussion together, which from our view is urgently required. We want the agreement; we do not want further strikes. At the moment, it's on Vereinigung Cockpit to say: 'We will go back to the negotiating table.' Our offers stand, and we are always ready to talk." MEDIA VARIOUS OF LEUTKE AND HANDWERG SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS AIRPORT TERMINAL LUFTHANSA LOGO ON PLANE VARIOUS OF LUFTHANSA PLANES ON TARMAC
- Embargoed: 11th December 2016 11:39
- Keywords: Lufthansa pilots' union Cockpit Vereinigung strike Frankfurt airport plane travel
- Location: FRANKFURT, GERMANY
- City: FRANKFURT, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA0015A2Y53B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Lufthansa's pilots' union said on Saturday (November 26) it had rejected the German airline's latest pay offer late Friday (November 25), but lifted the immediate threat of extending their strike.
"There are a lot of issues here. But we find ourselves in a strike about remuneration. For this reason alone, it would be extremely difficult to talk about other issues. It appears they are really more interested in pitfalls, judicials, interpretations than a solution. For this reason, we cannot and will not agree to this offer," board member of the pilot's union Vereinigung Cockpit, Joerg Handwerg, told reporters at Frankfurt Airport.
Lufthansa said it had made a new offer to try to break the deadlock in a long-running pay dispute with its pilots, who have been on strike since Wednesday (November 23).
"We had to take note of the fact that this was not in any way embraced by Vereinigung Cockpit, to enter into a discussion together, which from our view is urgently required. We want the agreement; we do not want further strikes. At the moment, it's on Vereinigung Cockpit to say: 'We will go back to the negotiating table.' Our offers stand, and we are always ready to talk," the airline's spokesman, Martni Leutke, said.
This week's walkout - the 14th since early 2014 - has already grounded some 2,600 planes and affected more than 315,000 passengers. Lufthansa said the disruption had started to hit medium-term bookings.
Handwerg did not rule out further action in the future, and said a "negotiable offer" was needed.
Lufthansa said earlier it had offered to increase wages by 4.4 percent in two installments, as well as a one-off payment equal to 1.8 months' pay.
The airline also said it had offered to create 1,000 jobs for junior pilots and up to 600 pilot trainee-ships over the next five years. It said it could enter mediation talks with the union on Nov. 29.
In return, pilots would have to agree to a change to their pension scheme in which Lufthansa would only guarantee paid-in contributions. Cabin crew and ground staff have already agreed to these changes.
The union wants an average annual pay increase of 3.7 percent for 5,400 pilots in Germany over a five-year period backdated to 2012.
Lufthansa says it has to cut costs to compete with leaner rivals, despite making a record profit in 2015.
Lufthansa pilots are well paid by industry standards. A pilot at Lufthansa earns on average 180,000 euros ($190,000) a year before tax, though a captain on the highest pay level can earn as much as 22,000 euros a month before tax. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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