Lufthansa prepares for flight attendant strikes

It seems Lufthansa and the UFO union have failed to agreed new terms after failure of negations over pay and working conditions.

The discussions have been goving for more than a year, with neither side agreeing.

The UFO union, which represents 18,000 Lufthansa flight attendants, said on Tuesday it would give only a few hours’ notice for most strikes, raising the threat of flight disruption, and is planning industrial action in the short-term, although it is not yet clear how extensive it will be at this time.

Lufthansa had offered to increase salaries by 3.5%, matching the airline’s previous wage hikes. However, the he two sides could not agree on structural changes geared at boosting productivity

UFO head Nicoley Baublies said the first strike could come as early as Wednesday and focus on selected airports stating:

“We could hold the strike for five or six hours at a time at selected airports”

For Lufthansa, the costs of a long drawn out stoppage are expensive, with the last major strike involving pilots costing up to €25 million a day in lost revenue. A protracted strike effort would cost more.

Lufthansa will  give details of its contingency plans only when the union gave strike times, and is aiming to do everything possible to minimise disruption.

If you’re on Lufthansa flights over the next few days, expect issues and keep up to date at http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/de/nonav/local?nodeid=1874371&l=en&cid=18002