20,000 travelers were affected by the pilots’ strike on Tuesday. There is no end in sight to the collective bargaining conflict.
(Photo: dpa)
Frankfurt The management of Eurowings is serious. After the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots’ union let an ultimatum pass on Monday evening and continued the three-day strike on Tuesday, the Eurowings management stopped the planned growth.
“As a consequence of what has now been four days of strikes and the corresponding massive strike damage, the Lufthansa subsidiary cannot continue the expansion of its German flight operations in the planned form,” says a letter that management distributed to the workforce on Tuesday.
This means: Instead of flying with Eurowings Germany next year with 81 aircraft, the fleet will be “reduced initially by five to 76 aircraft”. This has consequences for personnel planning. The staff in the cockpit and in the cabin will not be increased by at least 200 positions.
Pilots who are currently still in training at Eurowings Germany will only be given temporary contracts. In addition, co-pilots will probably have to wait longer before they reach the rank of flight captain.
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Eurowings accuses the pilots’ union of not being able to compromise
Only the flight operations of Eurowings Germany are affected by the measures, but not of Eurowings Europe, the letter goes on to say. The plans for Eurowings Discover will not change either. “The ongoing escalation strategy of the Cockpit Association robs us of the necessary security for further investments in our German flight operations,” writes Chief Financial Officer Kai Duve to the workforce.
Parked planes of the airline Eurowings are at Hamburg Airport.
(Photo: dpa)
On Monday, Eurowings threatened to start immediately with a “redimensioning” of flight operations if VC did not break off the strike, which is expected to last until Wednesday. But the VC has remained tough so far. The strike continued on Tuesday. Around half of the planned flights and around 20,000 passengers were affected. The walkout on Wednesday is likely to have similar consequences.
The Eurowings management accuses the VC of not being able to compromise. The collective bargaining conflict is primarily about a reduction in working hours. The management argues that most of the demands have already been met to an extent of 80 percent or more.
If Eurowings were to completely implement the VC catalogue, it would no longer be economically feasible for the airline. That is why the Lufthansa offshoot is now more likely to let the second flight operation, Eurowings Europe, based in Malta, grow.
More: Eurowings threatens pilots with reducing flight operations – parent company Lufthansa expects billions in profit