German union threatens Lufthansa with strikes after Christmas

A German cabin crew union has threatened Lufthansa with fresh walkouts after Christmas as discussions to resolve a bitter dispute over pay and conditions failed to make progress. Speaking after the latest round of arbitration talks, the UFO union said efforts to come up with a "credible and legally secure" resolution with the help of independent mediators had failed. While there would be no walkouts on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Boxing Day, "we could now announce a strike at any time", vice-chairman Daniel Flohr said. As well as demanding higher wages, especially for entry-level jobs, the union is seeking better benefits and easier routes into long-term contracts. Lufthansa said Sunday it continued to expect that through arbitration "good solutions can be found" for its 22,000 cabin crew employees. <br/>