Lufthansa, which has been struck 13 times in the past two years by its pilots, now faces a 7-day strike starting Friday by cabin crew. The issues are similar: workforce reductions and pay. The union will announce shortly what routes will be affected.
Lufthansa has been on a cost-cutting mission as it tries to stave off competition from low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and Easyjet. Among its tactics have been trying to shift jobs to subsidiaries not covered by German labor law and standards, staff reductions and more.
In this instance, cabin crew are demanding that Lufthansa retain an existing contract clause that allows them to take early retirement, especially if laid off, and to not reduce Lufthansa’s financial commitment to its retirement funds.
