FRANKFURT – The pilots’ union, Vereinigung Cockpit, on Monday announced that the industrial action will take place on Tuesday as planned at Frankfurt airport, Germany’s largest
Report says Lufthansa pilots are to go on strike on Tuesday for the fifth time this year amid an ongoing row over retirement benefits.
It added that travellers would face fresh disruptions as long-haul flights would be affected.
The union said that it was forced to resort to such measures as talks with the Lufthansa management were deadlocked and it had not offered a compromise.
The group’s pilots have already walked off the job four times this year, over Lufthansa’s plans to scrap its current retirement benefits scheme. [eap_ad_2]
Those strikes resulted in the cancellation of 4,300 flights and forced hundreds of thousands of passengers to face lengthy delays or make alternative transport arrangements.
The 5,400 pilots employed at Lufthansa wanted the company to maintain its current retirement benefits system, under which they can retire at 55 and continue to receive part of their wages.
Like other European carriers, Lufthansa is battling to reduce costs in the face of stiff competition from budget airlines such as EasyJet, Emirates and Ryanair as well as new emerging Middle East carriers. (dpa/NAN) [eap_ad_3]
