Lufthansa flight attendants, who work for the prestigious German national airline, are planning to cause disruptions to airline operations on Tuesday and Wednesday through strikes. This action represents the most recent occurrence in a sequence of strikes that have impacted the carrier in the past few weeks.
The decision to initiate a strike follows closely after the UFO flight attendant union declared a decisive 96% majority vote among its members to escalate their ongoing wage dispute with the airline. The increasing tension is expected to result in two separate disruptions at Lufthansa’s main hubs, Frankfurt and Munich airports.
The strike will commence on Tuesday, March 13th, at Frankfurt Am Main. Flight attendants will refrain from performing their duties between 4 am and 10 pm, resulting in disruptions to scheduled departures within this timeframe. Following that, on Wednesday, March 14th, the strike will move to Munich Airport, where flight attendants will participate in identical action throughout the same period.
Simultaneously, demonstrations and gatherings are scheduled to take place in Frankfurt and Munich throughout both days of the strike. Harry Jaeger, the Chief of Collective Bargaining Policy and Negotiator of the UFO, voiced the union’s exasperation, pointing out multiple unproductive negotiating cycles that have occurred over the course of 15 sessions.
The main point of disagreement centers around the union’s request for a 15% pay hike to be implemented immediately, which is in contrast to Lufthansa’s proposal of a 9.25% increase that would only take full effect in August 2025.
Jaeger expressed remorse and extended condolences to the passengers who were impacted, emphasizing the seriousness of the decision to go on strike while highlighting the union’s dedication to addressing its members’ legitimate requests.
Lufthansa passengers have previously experienced a series of disruptive strikes, however these strikes primarily involved ground personnel including as engineers, baggage handlers, and check-in staff. Lufthansa had to cancel a significant portion of its scheduled flights due to the substantial cancellations caused by the recent strike led by the Verdi United Services trade union.
Lufthansa foresees substantial interruptions to its flight schedule in advance of the flight attendant strike. Current initiatives are in progress to notify passengers who are impacted by flight cancellations and offer alternative booking choices using multiple communication methods, such as email and the Lufthansa application.
Although the walkout caused inconvenience, Lufthansa has expressed remorse and offered apologies for any interruption to travelers’ itineraries.
The current state of public transportation in Germany is plagued by numerous issues. A significant number of employees express dissatisfaction with their current employment, leading them to engage in strike actions. Consequently, various modes of transportation such as airplanes, trains, and other forms of travel are experiencing disruptions.
As an illustration, the ground staff of Lufthansa ceased their work on both Thursday and Friday. Security personnel at Düsseldorf airport abruptly ceased their duties on Thursday, without providing any prior notice.
Train drivers went on a 35-hour strike on the same day. They desire to reduce their working hours while maintaining their current level of compensation. Consequently, only approximately 20% of long-distance trains were operational on that particular day.
The train drivers’ union has announced that they will no longer provide advance notice of any strikes. Their intention is to undermine the perception of the train system’s reliability.
This disturbance is also occurring in local transportation, but it varies depending on the specific state.
Last month, the German central bank expressed that these strikes have the potential to exacerbate the economy. There is concern that Germany may see an economic downturn in the near future.