• Source:JND

Pilots from Lufthansa are set to execute a two-day strike, effectively disrupting travel schedules throughout Europe due to mass cancellations of hundreds of flights from April 13. This industrial action is being taken as a result of conflict over pensions, salary and working conditions, which has created huge numbers of stranded passengers and an increase in online traffic searching for updates regarding the event.

Expected Time Of The Strike

The strike has been arranged by various pilots' unions and is scheduled to commence at 12:01 am local time on Monday and 11:59 pm Tuesday. There have been many reports from numerous major airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich airports, that the strike resulted in significant disruptions with more than 800 flights cancelled, affecting nearly 1,00,000 people.

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Due to the strike, long queues, last-minute re-bookings and a large amount of uncertainty for passengers are expected. Lufthansa has advised that all passengers verify their flights before heading to the airport and to only travel if they have confirmed their bookings.

Flights to a variety of locations in West Asia, including Azerbaijan, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are not likely to be affected by this strike, according to reports.

Additionally, the Cockpit Association initiated the strike due to failure of the airline to conduct meaningful negotiations during this period. 

"The Cockpit Union feels compelled to take this step after the employers showed no discernible willingness to reach a solution in several collective bargaining disputes," NDTV quoted the organisation.

Cockpit Union President Andreas Pinheiro stated that this action followed a lengthy period of unsuccessful negotiations, and the decision to strike was withheld through the Easter holiday to allow time for negotiations to create contracts.

"Despite a deliberate decision not to take strike action over the Easter holidays, no serious offers were forthcoming. During this period, there was neither a response nor any discernible willingness to engage in talks on the part of the employers," union President Andreas Pinheiro said.

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Pilots’ Demand

In response to increased workload caused by the post Covid trade rebound, pilots want to have the benefits for retirement increased and working conditions improved. The increased work is not reflected in the salary that the pilots are compensated for their work. 

Lufthansa has stated they will enter into negotiations to arrive at a fair solution for all parties involved, and at the same time be mindful of the economic challenges that exist in an industry with excessive competition. As negotiations continue, this global strike has impacted the travelling public in all areas impacted by Lufthansa flights.

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