Frankfurt Eurowings pilots went on a three-day strike on Monday morning. The industrial action began as planned, said a spokesman for the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots’ union. No other offer was submitted. Passengers were asked to find out about the status of their flight on the Eurowings website or via the Eurowings app.
Düsseldorf Airport was hit particularly hard by the strike. According to the Eurowings airport, 102 of the 171 Eurowings flights planned for Monday were canceled before the official start of the strike. 43 connections were canceled in Cologne/Bonn, and 40 take-offs and landings were canceled in Stuttgart.
Shortly before the pilots’ strike, the mood between the management of Eurowings and the Vereinigung Cockpit union was also on the ground. “With its attitude of refusal, the trade union cuts sharply into the prospects of Eurowings Germany,” said Kai Duve, who is responsible for finance and human resources in the management of Eurowings: “It is inevitably forcing Eurowings into a contraction of German flight operations and endangering jobs – not only in the cockpit.”
On Friday evening, the pilots’ representation VC had called on the cockpit staff of Eurowings Germany to stop work from Monday midnight up to and including Wednesday. Eurowings announced on Sunday that more than 230 of the around 400 planned flights would take place on Monday. The adjusted flight plan has been published. The management assumes that more than half of the connections can also be flown for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
The scenario of shrinking Eurowings Germany is not an empty threat. With Eurowings Europe, there is already a second flight operation within the Lufthansa low-cost offshoot. This is outside the VC’s sphere of influence, it cannot call on its pilots to take part in labor disputes.
Just a few days ago, Lufthansa re-registered Eurowings Europe from Vienna to Malta. This is mainly due to tax reasons. In Austria, salaries have to be taxed twice, in Germany and in Austria. This is not the case in Malta. Ryanair also has flight operations on the Mediterranean island.
The management could in principle register more jets to Malta and thus withdraw the access of the pilots’ union. However, this would also affect the cabin crew, which in turn is unlikely to please the flight attendant union UFO.
Union complains that pilots are overworked
The collective bargaining dispute is less about money, the VC is demanding better working hours. Eurowings cockpit staff complete more flight hours per week than the pilots of the Lufthansa core brand. The trade union complained that this led to staff being overloaded, especially last summer, when there was strong demand from private travelers.
“We have repeatedly shown our willingness to find a solution and expect the same from Eurowings,” said Marcel Gröls, responsible for tariff policy at VC. So far, the employer side has refused to submit a negotiable offer. From the point of view of the collective bargaining commission, the last one from Thursday last week was insufficient.
>> Read about this: That’s how much salary pilots get at Lufthansa and Eurowings – and that’s how big the differences are
An argument that Manager Duve cannot understand. Eurowings has already offered ten of the 14 additional days off required per year, as well as a reduction in weekly working hours by two full hours. “Anyone who does not want to see a negotiable offer in this concession has lost all measure and middle ground,” said Duve.
The collective bargaining dispute is likely to be overshadowed by another topic. The pilot representation has to defend itself against new competition. The service union Verdi wants to get involved with the pilots and is in the process of founding its own tariff committee for the cockpit staff of the Lufthansa subsidiary. Verdi recently reported to the specialist portal Airliners that more and more dissatisfied pilots had joined Verdi.
Pilots’ strike at Eurowings: Cancel almost every second flight
It is difficult to say to what extent the pilots are actually drawn to Verdi. But the fact is: there is a crunch within the VC. The accusation that VC primarily represents the interests of the pilots of the Lufthansa core brand and of Lufthansa Cargo has long been in the air.
These so-called KTV pilots – KTV stands for group wage agreement – are among the best paid in the Lufthansa Group. They were also the ones who founded the VC and who largely finance the union because of the high contribution rates.
This is why some pilots from the other Lufthansa brands are frustrated. They feel neglected and not adequately represented by the VC. Whether Verdi will actually succeed in gaining a foothold in the cockpit is difficult to say. The service union is already active in the Eurowings cabin, alongside the UFO flight attendant representative.
More: New jets, new seats, better catering – Lufthansa boss promises quality offensive.