The Lufthansa subsidiary Discover Airlines is going on strike this week due to an ongoing union dispute. From Tuesday, August 27th, to Friday, August 30th, pilots and cabin crew led by the unions Ufo and Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) are stopping operations at all German airports.
The strike was announced in response to a recent collective bargaining agreement reached between Discover Airlines and the service workers’ union Verdi, which Ufo and VC view as undermining their long-standing negotiations.
The unions had been negotiating their own collective agreements with Discover Airlines for months, which were reportedly close to being finalized. But Discover’s sudden deal with Verdi last week, bypassing Ufo and VC, sparked outrage. The unions see this as a tactic by the Lufthansa Group to weaken their influence.
VC President Andreas Pinheiro criticized the airline’s management for what he considered to be a disrespectful treatment of the airline. The unions want to use the strike to put pressure on Discover Airlines to recognize and implement their collective agreements and not the one negotiated with Verdi. Discover has not commented on the allegations, but wants to continue the collective agreement negotiated with Verdi.
