Lufthansa pilots offer to waive 45% of salaries

Lufthansa pilots represented by trade union Vereinigung Cockpit have offered to waive up to 45% of their salaries for two years, in return for job security, to help the airline navigate the coronavirus crisis. In March, the union and airline agreed short-time working arrangements for pilots – a first in Lufthansa’s history. The target was a 50% reduction in flightcrew costs. But Vereinigung Cockpit says the measure is “not enough” to bring the airline through a “crisis with an uncertain length”. The union says the partial waiving of salaries and an additional reduction of current short-term work pay will together deliver savings of E350m over a two-year term to 30 June 2022. Lufthansa management has met with staff representatives and unions today to discuss the airline’s situation, Vereinigung Cockpit notes. In return, the union demands that Lufthansa Group’s senior executive team is “committed” to employees and does “everything possible to overcome the crisis together with [staff] in a social partnership”. The union asserts that a potential “protective shield” state-aid procedure would not meet those requirements.<br/>