Labour court asks Lufthansa to reinstate 17 terminated during pandemic

A labour court has directed Deutsche Lufthansa AG to reinstate 17 cabin crew members whose services were terminated during the coronavirus pandemic.

The services of these people were terminated in February 2021 and they were members of the Lufthansa Cabin Crew Association.

In an order passed on July 3, the Central Government Industrial Tribunal-Cum-Labour Court in the national capital said that 17 cabin crew members should be reinstated with "full back wages and continuity of service from the date of termination of service".

Further, the tribunal has directed the airline group to pay them their last drawn salary and the arrears within two months from the date of publication of the award without interest.

In case of failure to do so, the amount accrued would carry an annual interest of six per cent from the date of the challenged dismissal and till the amount is finally paid, it added.

When contacted, a Lufthansa spokesperson late on Wednesday said, "we have taken note of the court's order. It is, however, too early to make a legal assessment of this order".

Earlier, the association had submitted a charter of demand to the airline group's management with regard to their service conditions. After the failure of conciliation proceedings, the matter was referred to the tribunal and is still pending with it.

Lufthansa had terminated the services of 103 India-based flight attendants in February 2021 after they sought "job assurance" from the management while the German airlines group had offered them leave without pay option for two years.