In a ballot that ended on Wednesday, 97.9 percent voted for a labor dispute, according to the Vereinigung Cockpit union. The turnout was almost 90 percent, said a spokesman. An immediate date for strikes was not given. Negotiations with the employer about the disputed collective wage agreement are planned for the coming week.
The exploratory talks between Lufthansa and the VC pilots at the core company and Lufthansa Cargo, which have been held intensively since Tuesday, initially remained without any tangible results. Last week, the company increased its offer and renewed talks with the union, which was actually prepared to go on strike. Both sides remained silent about content or possible interim results on Wednesday.
The tariff conflict is officially about higher remuneration for the more than 5,000 pilots of the Lufthansa core company and the freight subsidiary Cargo. In addition to a new salary structure, the VC is demanding 5.5 percent more for this year and automatic inflation compensation from 2023.
In addition, a conflict about corporate strategy smolders in the background. VC wants as many aircraft as possible to be occupied on its tariff terms, while the company promotes flight operations with lower tariffs, which should take over parts of the routes.
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