Union Plans Action At Lufthansa

The warning strike is to take place at several airports at the same time and involve sections of both the ground and air personnel, DAG said in a statement.

DAG said the protest would take place in the next few days. A spokesman said the union was not giving further details so as not to help the airline plan its response. Talks between the two broke down last month after Lufthansa refused to meet DAGs demand for a four percent increase in wages.

DAG, which said Lufthansas offer would give its workers a pay rise below inflation, also objected to the 27-month contract period it said Lufthansa was demanding.

 

Lufthansa earlier on Friday took out a full-page newspaper advertisement to reassure passengers that it would be doing everything to maintain a normal flight service.

The advert, in the form of a letter to customers from chairman Juergen Weber, said that the airline was seeking to be an attractive partner in terms of price and quality offering a worldwide network. Lufthansa said last month it was trying to rein in its unit costs by as much as 20 per cent to meet growing competition in the airline business.

A spokesman for Lufthansa said that it had received very little information over DAGs planned industrial action but was not expecting any major disruption to flight service. Lufthansa said on Thursday it was ready to hold further wage talks with the DAG white collar workers trade union, with a new focus on possible job protection measures for employees.

A spokesman for DAG said it had not replied to Lufthansas call for it to suggest new dates when negotiations could start.

Lufthansa last month struck a two-year pay deal with 50,000 workers represented by the OeTV public sector and transport union. In an unusual move for a German company, the deal gave employees the option of being offered Lufthansa stock.